Bashar visit will give fresh impetus to Arab solidarity

Abu Dhabi: The visit of Syrian President Bashar Al Assad to the UAE beginning on Monday is being viewed as an impetus to the fraternal relations between the two countries.

Officials believe that the visit will substantially boost the decades-long relations between the UAE and Syria, and will streng-then the joint efforts by the leaders of both countries to restore Arab solidarity and push forward the joint Arab agenda.

The visit comes at a time when the relations between the UAE and Syria have developed at a steadily increasing pace, especially after the official visit by President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan to Syria in July last year.

Shaikh Khalifa's tour took UAE-Syrian relations into new horizons and set up new bases for joint investment and economic partnerships.

During Shaikh Khalifa's visit, the Syrian President welcomed UAE investors to his country, promising relaxed investment regulations in the best interests of the economic development of Syria and the prosperity of both countries.

He also asserted that the economic partnership will further strengthen the relations between the UAE and Syria.

Later came the visit of His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to Syria in February this year.

Wider horizons

During the meeting the two leaders explored ways to enhance relations between the two countries, with particular emphasis on economic partnerships.

Shaikh Mohammad paid a second visit to Syria on Saturday and held talks with the Syrian president on bilateral relations and other issues of regional importance.

UAE Foreign Minister Shaikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan described the UAE-Syrian relations as excellent.

He said the visits of Shaikh Khalifa and Shaikh Mohammad to Syria had opened up wider horizons in the relations between the two countries.