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Damascus: French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner arrived in Damascus on Monday after a brief visit to Lebanon where he affirmed France's dedication to restoring ties between Lebanon and Syria.
Syrian political analyst Thabet Salem commented to Gulf News saying that the Kouchner visit: "Restores credit to Syria's role in the region and ends the US-imposed boycott on Syria."
Kouchner's visit comes as a precursor to President Nicolas Sarkozy's visit scheduled for September 2. Sarkozy, who met Bashar Al Assad in Paris last July, will be coming to Damascus also in his capacity as head of the EU and is expected to discuss bilateral political and cultural relations, including the inauguration of the new French school in Damascus, named after former French President Charles de Gaulle - further indication of warming ties between Paris and Damascus.
Both Kouchner's visit and that of Sarkozy are the first to Syria since Franco-Syrian relations hit rock-bottom under ex-President Jacques Chirac, after the assassination of Lebanon's former Prime Minister Rafik Harriri in 2005.
Meanwhile, the Sana news agency in Syria reported that Bashar, confirmed to Lebanese Sports Minister Talal Arslan that Syria would continue to support Lebanon's "national and Arabic" political order.
"Syria will continue to place itself at the side of Lebanon and its national and Arabic politics. It will support all the decisions the Lebanese have taken for the stability and the prosperity of the country," Bashar said.
Last week, Bashar went to Russia and created world headlines by supporting Russia's response, which some observers feared, might intimidate the French.
George Jabbour, a scholar, former MP and adviser to President Hafez Al Assad, said, "the upcoming meeting of the two presidents might add to a better understanding towards what happened in Georgia."
On another front, Syria appointed Lamia Shakkur, a former UN official, as ambassador to Paris and she was sworn into office 24 hours before Kouchner landed in Damascus.
The post has been vacant since 2005, last held by Ambassador Siba Nasser. The new young ambassador is the daughter of Yousuf Shakkur, a former chief-of-staff of the Syrian Army during the war of 1973 who held the post of ambassador to France under former President Hafez Al Assad.
In addition to sending an ambassador, Syria has also started improving bilateral relations with France, sending Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Dardari for economic talks last July. An official source noted, "Economic talks are still underway in Damascus. And I can tell you, they are very positive; the French have expressed full support for development and the reform programme in Syria."
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