Lebanese parliamentary delegation meets with Assad

A Lebanese parliamentary delegation led by MP Ali Hassan Khalil has met in Damascus with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

In addition to Khalil, the delegation included the MPs Hagop Pakradounian, Tony Franjieh, Samer al-Tawm, Jihad al-Samad, Ghazi Zoaiter, Qassem Hashem, Ibrahim al-Moussawi.

“Syria appreciates what Lebanon has shown at the official and popular levels in terms of the humanitarian response and the support for the Syrian government’s efforts in aiding those affected by the earthquake,” Assad told the delegation.

“The relation between Lebanon and Syria is in the first place a relation of brotherhood between the peoples of the two countries, and this is the basis from which the official policies must stem in order to serve the common interests of the two peoples,” Assad added.

The delegation’s members for their part said they were visiting Syria to “express the depth of the solidarity of the Lebanese with the Syrian people” and “the need to activate bilateral relations and and advance them in all fields.”

A Lebanese ministerial delegation had also visited Syria and met with Assad in the wake of the devastating February 6 earthquake.