Joint Declaration Following Meeting of Presidents al-Assad and Medvedev
May 11, 2010
www.sana.sy/eng/21/2010/05/11/287553.htm

Damascus, (SANA- Syrian news agency)-A joint declaration was issued
following the meeting of Presidents Bashar al-Assad and Dmitry Medvedev on
Tuesday.
The declaration said that, ''Based on the continuous historic bilateral
relations between Syria and Russia, and the long-standing friendship, mutual
respect, rich experience that accumulated as a result of fruitful,
multi-sided cooperation between peoples of the two countries,''

''Taking into consideration the standing international treaties between the
two sides, including the Joint Declaration on deepening relations of
friendship and cooperation signed on January 25, 2005, recognizing their
role in achieving just and comprehensive peace in the region and the world,
and to help reach a multi-lateral world order that is more just, democratic
and adherent to the international law, and contribute to solidifying the
pivotal role of the United Nations in international relations,''

''Based on their recognition of the principal responsibility of the UN
Security Council regarding preserving international peace and security,
agreeing that it is necessary to enhance and overhaul the United Nations and
the Security Council in concord with the current economic and political
situations,''

''Believing that principles like the unconditioned supremacy of the
international law must form a basis for a multi-polar world order through
consolidating the
coordinative pivotal role of the United Nations,''

''Stemming from their efforts to establish just and comprehensive peace in
the Middle East on the basis of the relevant international legitimacy
resolutions, Madrid term of reference including the land-for-peace
principle, and stressing their solid determination to further deepen
friendship and cooperation that harmonize with the two countries' interests
and help establish peace and security in the Middle East and the world,''

''Based on the two sides endeavor to move the political dialogue forward and
cooperate within the framework of the United Nations and its affiliated
bodies on main world issues, in relation to stopping regional conflicts and
finding peaceful settlements to them, halting the proliferation of weapons
of mass destruction and confronting organized crimes, including the illegal
drug trafficking, money laundering and the deterioration of environment,''

The two sides declare the following:

1)-The two sides are keen to exchange regular visits between Presidents of
the two countries to coordinate bilateral, regional and international
cooperation with the participation of both countries' ministers concerned.

2)-The two sides work to outline mechanisms on issues of cooperation between
the governmental ministries and institutions concerned in both countries.

3)-Appreciating the positive level of the standing coordination between both
countries' Foreign Ministries, the two sides continue holding regular talks
and consultations between their Foreign Ministers at least once a year
according to the Minutes of Consultation between the two Foreign Ministries
signed in Moscow on April 28 1990.

In the framework of developing the standing experience, the two sides form a
joint committee for holding regular political consultations between senior
specialized officials for regular and practical coordination of the stances
and steps in the domain of foreign policy and the bilateral relations.

In the framework of the regular consultations held in coordination between
both countries' Ministries of Foreign Affairs, the two sides give the
required attention to the full spectrum of the international and regional
agenda of mutual concern.

4)–Therefore, In the framework of the political consultations, the two sides
give top priority to finding a solution to the Arab-Israeli conflict based
on Israel's withdrawal from all the occupied Syrian Golan and the occupied
Arab territories till the June 4th 1967 line, the establishment of a
Palestinian viable, independent state and solving the issue of the
Palestinian refugees according to the UN Security Council and the General
Assembly's relevant resolutions.

The two sides also express their deep concern over the dangerous tension in
the Middle East due to the ongoing Israeli occupation in the first place,
and they condemn Israel's settlement policy and any unilateral actions in
the occupied Arab territories, including East Jerusalem.

The two sides call for the resumption of the peace process to achieve a just
and comprehensive peace in the region in line with the international
legitimacy resolutions, including Madrid term of reference and the
land-for-peace principle. They also call for solving other Mideast crises.

5)-The two sides continue coordination and cooperation to develop dialogue
among civilizations in order to further consolidate understanding and
confidence among different cultures. They also contribute to the efforts
exerted in this regard.

6)-The two sides push forward the cooperation between economic ministries
and bodies and both countries' businessmen through holding sessions of the
joint Syrian-Russian Committee for Trade, Economic, Scientific and Technical
Cooperation in addition to holding the Syrian-Russian Businessmen Council
annually in Syria or Russia alternately.

7- The two sides encourage enhancing bilateral investment cooperation.

8-Both sides are keen on increasing interest in infrastructure projects,
particularly in the domain of oil, gas, hydrocarbons transport and
increasing each country's capacity in the electric energy in addition to
further developing railway and air transport, communication technologies,
tourism, environment protection and irrigation and others of common
interest.

9- Both sides encourage conducting joint scientific researches and cooperate
in the field of technology, particularly high tech and use of space for
peaceful purposes.

10-Both sides boost military cooperation and traditional military technical
cooperation, taking into consideration their mutual interests and
international obligations.

11-The two sides cooperate to consolidate international stability and
security, and the prevention of the spread of weapons of mass destruction
and their means of delivery as well as preventing their dissemination in the
space.

In this framework, both sides agree that the current challenges to the
international security, including those challenges related to the
proliferation of the nuclear materials among unofficial bodies, should be
removed based on the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

The two sides call for the universality of the NPT, and consider it is
necessary that Israel join the NPT as a non-nuclear state and placing its
nuclear facilities under the comprehensive safeguard systems of the
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

Both sides coordinate efforts to turn the Middle East region into a zone
free of weapons of mass destruction and means of delivering them.

Russia and Syria recognize Iran's right to develop nuclear energy for
peaceful proposes acceding to the NPT provisions. Both sides underline
commitment to reach a peaceful and diplomatic resolution regarding Iran's
nuclear program, and support the efforts exerted to find a negotiated
solution.

12-Both sides keep supporting work on the bilateral and multilateral levels
to fight all forms of terrorism in accordance with the provisions of
international law and the UN Charter and the relevant UN Security Council
resolutions. Both sides work on fighting the international organized crimes
and the illegal drug trafficking and mentally harmful materials and all
their ingredients. Both sides develop communication and means of dealing
with the bodies concerned.

13-Both sides continue encouraging wide-ranging contacts in the fields of
science and education through exchanging scholarships in the institutions of
higher education and higher studies via activating direct contacts between
the universities and scientific institutions. They also work on teaching
Arabic and Russian in each country.

14-Both sides support the persistent cooperation in the domain of tourism
and activate cultural and human communication through mutual contacts
between social, sports establishments and youth organizations.

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