Date : 27/12/2002
Al-Assad to embark on visit to Algeria tomorrow
ALGIERS, Dec 27 (KUNA) -- Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad will embark on a
two-day visit to Algeria on Saturday, official sources told KUNA on Friday.
An Algerian Presidency media section official said a delegation of
high-ranking officials will accompany Al-Assad, including Foreign Minister
Farouk al-Sharaa, during his visit that was delayed twice due to turbulence in
the tribal areas in Algeria.
Al-Assad will hold face-to-face talks with President Abdelaziz Bouteflika
with a later expanded meeting between members of both governments and
encounters with Algerian Premier Ali bin-Fellis and the chairmen of the upper
and lower houses.
Earlier, both Arab states signed cooperation protocols in the fields of
trade, investment, health, education, culture and media.
Diplomatic sources in Damascus told KUNA that the top-level
Syrian-Algerian talks would deal with the Iraqi, Palestinian questions and
Arab solidarity as well as contacts that have been conducted by the two states
at the international level regarding the Iraqi and Palestinian issues. (end)
tk.rk