President Bashar al-Assad and Mrs. Asma al-Assad started on Friday an official visit to the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela within a tour of several Latin American countries that includes also Cuba, Brazil and Argentina.

Upon their arrival in their residence in Caracas, President al-Assad and Mrs. al-Assad were received by hundreds of members of the Syrian community in Venezuela who expressed their happiness over this historic visit.

The President will discuss with the Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez bilateral relation, Arab-Latin American relations, and developments in the Middle East and Latin America.

Several agreements will be signed during this visit aimed to bolster cooperation between the two friendly countries.

The President will also meet several members of the Syrian community in Venezuela.

President al-Assad and Mrs. al-Assad are accompanied by a delegation that includes Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem, Presidential Political and Media Advisor Dr. Bouthaina Shaaban and Minister of Presidential Affairs Mansour Azzam.

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez visited Syria in 2006 and 2009 and held talks with President al-Assad.

Many agreements and cooperation protocols in parliamentary issues and the fields of environment protection, tourism, agriculture, air and sea transport, economy, trade, free zones, oil, energy, information, housing and construction were signed, in addition to a political consultation agreement between the two countries' foreign ministries.

Cuban leader Fidel Castro also visited Syria in May 2001. He held talks with President al-Assad on bilateral relations and the importance of enhancing them at all levels to serve the interests of the two countries and the regional and international issues.

President al-Assad held talks with his Brazilian counterpart Lula da Silva during his visit to Syria in December 2003. The discussion focused on cooperation between the two countries in all fields, particularly in economy, and in the international forums.

The President also discussed with Brazilian Foreign Minister Celso Nunes de Amorim early in 2008 means of consolidating bilateral relations in various fields.

Syria and Brazil are connected by many agreements and memos of understanding in the fields of culture, education, tourism, sport and political consultation between the two Foreign Ministries.

Syrian-Argentinean relations are historical. The two countries are connected by a trade agreement that facilitates and develops trade between them.

President al-Assad sent letters at the beginning of 2010 to Presidents of Brazil, Argentina, Venezuela, Cuba, Ecuador and Nicaragua within the framework of the bilateral consultation between Syria and these countries on regional and international issues.

President al-Assad also participated in the second Arab-Latin American summit held in Doha in 2009 which focused on consolidating mutual cooperation between the two sides in all spheres.

Source:SANA