Damascus, Feb. 5 (SANA) Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani on Thursday held talks with visiting French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot at Tishreen Palace in Damascus on bilateral relations and political and economic cooperation. Both sides reaffirmed Syria’s unity, sovereignty, and territorial integrity.
The French Foreign Minister said in press statement after the meeting “France stood by the Syrian people, who were victims of the brutality of the Assad regime, and it will continue to support them in building a better future.”
He added that the agreement between the Syrian government and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) guarantees the basic rights of the Kurds and supports efforts to combat ISIS.
Barrot arrived in Damascus early Thursday for an official visit marking his second trip to the country since the fall of the defunct regime. The visit is part of a regional tour that includes Iraq and Lebanon.
The visit follows recent meetings between Syrian and French officials. Foreign Minister al-Shaibani met his French counterpart in Paris on Jan. 6, when the two sides discussed issues of mutual interest and ways to strengthen strategic partnerships between the two countries.
