President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner of Argentina held a luncheon in honor of President al-Assad in the presence of members of the two official delegations, where the two presidents delivered two speeches.

President al-Assad underlined in a speech during the lincheon that Syria seeks to develop cooperation with many countries in the world, whether the distant or near countries.

"What makes Syria cooperate with a far continent is this independence in the political decision in addition to the just stances adopted by those countries away from any intentions in hegemony or occupation, among them Argentina," President al-Assad added.

The President underlined that relations between Syria and Argentina are moving toward a new stage and realizing tangible achievements that link both countries' interests and work to establish a more just international system and end the double standards policy.

President al-Assad added that Argentina was this refuge in South America which hosted Syrian immigrants, and that the Argentine people opened their doors wide to citizens of different races and religions and gave them all the opportunities available to the country's native sons, treating them without any racism or discrimination whether based on form, sex, skin color, religion or ethnic.

His Excellency noted that today those people are fully-integrated citizens in the Argentine society, and defend this country, participate in building it, and work for its prosperity, stressing that this example set by Latin America and Argentina is needed great today since the world needs openness, tolerance and coexistence which is a natural human condition.

"When we see a state contradicting what we have seen in Argentina and many Arab areas including Syria in terms of coexistence and intermixing among different religions, ethnicities and sects for hundreds and maybe thousands of years, then this means the opposite case that often results in mistakes, primarily political mistakes," President al-Assad said.

On peace, President al-Assad said in reality, there doesn't seem to be peace anytime soon, because Israel's responses were opposite to it. Israel launched an aggression on Lebanon in 2006 that claimed the lives of over a thousand, many of them women and children, followed by the aggression on Gaza that claimed the lives of 1500, most of them also women and children, and now Israel imposes an inhuman siege on the 1.5 million citizens in Gaza.

His Excellency affirmed that Syria wants comprehensive peace, but this peace cannot be completed only on the Syrian track, but it must also include the Palestinian track which cannot be completed without establishing a Palestinian state and restoring the Palestinian rights, and at the same time lifting the siege on Gaza.

"We want to work together as countries around the world to support the UN Security Council resolutions and the Arab Peace Initiative and reach peace," President al-Assad said, thanking Argentine President for her country's clear support of restoring the occupied Syrian Golan to Syria, expressing Syria's support of Argentina's right to the Malvinas Islands.

President al-Assad pointed out that this stance is a mark of relations among independent countries, saying that Syria doesn't need relations with major countries with strong economy and armies if these countries don't have independent decision-making.

He affirmed that his tour in Latin American countries seeks decisions among independent counties, saying "Syria is an independent country and does what is dedicated by its convictions and interests."

His Excellency called on Argentina to help support the Brazilian initiatives in the Middle East, particularly those related to the Iranian nuclear issue or the peace process through the strong relationship between the two countries and the Mercosur bloc, stating that experience shows that oceans cannot protect any country since problems that originate in one location can affect any place in the world.

President al-Assad expressed strong desire for serious, actual and practical cooperation between Syria and Argentina through linking mutual interests despite difficulties such as long distances and the absence of air and marine lines, saying "the spiritual bond between the two areas through communities is a point of strength that isn't available in many countries in the world, particularly since these communities occupy important posts in all political and economic walks of life and in decision-making positions, and they can help the two countries."

President Bashar al-Assad and President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner of Argentina underlined on Friday keenness to open new cooperation prospects, enhancing trade exchange, encouraging investment and the mutual visits between the two countries' businessmen and chambers of industry and commerce in a way that serves the interest of both countries.

The two presidents discussed means of boosting the bilateral relations between the two countries in all spheres in a way that matches up with the strong ties connecting the two friendly peoples represented by the big Syrian community in Argentina.

President al-Assad and President de Kirchner underlined importance of building on what has been achieved in the two Arab-South America summits in 2005 and 2009 and the importance of exerting more efforts to further enhance the standing cooperation between the two regions and consolidate ties between the two peoples.

Source: Jouhina Portal News