Readings in President Assad’s Visit to Italy
It is indeed a lifetime dream to accompany President Bashar Assad in a trip abroad. This privilege does enable a journalist to gain first hand knowledge about how much this young man, the hope for a better tomorrow, enjoys of international respect, presence, and influence. In Italy, the first by Syrian President to this country, the presidential plane landed where hundreds of Arabs and Syrians, were in vigil braving the cold weather since early morning waiting for the man, who wisely in less than two years proved the continued legacy of reform, peace, steadfastness and modernization initiated by Syrians late father, President Hafez Assad. The President was given heroes welcome as a man coming from the oldest continuously inhabited capital; the cradle of civilization and of Christianity, the land of history which gave the Roman Empire emperors, popes, artists, architects, and renowned intellectuals. Rome was excited to receive the man who came as a messenger of peace and amity in reminiscent of Saint Paul and of all Syria’s great historic figures throughout ages.
The presidential motorcade crossed the welcoming historical streets of Rome to the presidential Palace where president Ciampi and his wife were in waiting for Syria’s matching couple, of whom the Italian press admiringly spoke. Red-carpeted meeting accompanied by the national anthems of both great countries; the president reviewed the guards of honor in their colorful old costumes and chevalier outlook. An enlarged meeting was held where both presidents voiced deep concern over the difficulties facing the Mideast region due to the halting of the peace process. President Assad was more than clear in calling for combating terrorism, sweeping the world in different forms, through the boosting of political dialogue and shared knowledge of each others. By that evening, the Italian Senate Chairman and top senators held friendly talks with the President, who was more than convincing in conveying Syria’s message of peace, coexistence and dialogue among people. Stress was laid upon the importance of just and comprehensive peace realization where every right is restored to the legitimate owners in line with Syria’s strong-held believe and principle.
In the second day, the president addressed the Governor of Rome and the Italian Parliament Speaker with unique language of shared history and joint interest in peace, cooperation, friendship flavored with touching emotions and rational reasoning. His Excellency spoke of the Syrian-Italian deep rooted historic relations where ‘’ both civilizations were mingled together,” and where each, with its own features, gave birth to “ a unique example of civilization integration” and joint interaction. President Assad spoke admiringly of the great Italian Civilization; among its pioneers were the Damascene Appolodore, emperors, popes, architects, engineers, writers and many others. The president called for the more of human cooperation and communication as to formulate perfect relations among all people as for all to live in peace and coexistence. At noon, the president held talks with Italy’s Prime Minister on ways and means of bolstering economic, technical and technological cooperation between both countries in their joint interest; Premier Berlusconi extended a helping hand of contribution to the bolstering of the ongoing process of reform and modernization in Syria especially in the fields of banking and tourism. Three agreements for investment promotion, environment protection, and tourism cooperation were signed following the meeting. Sharon’s ongoing policy of escalation and killing did shelve any talk about the chances of just and comprehensive peace realization.
The third day of the visit witnessed a meeting between His Excellency, the president, and a delegation representing Syrian and Italian businessmen. The meeting covered issues related to development and reform issues including economic and tourist relations. Focus was put on cooperation in the fields of railways, shipping, gas, oil, natural conservatories, agricultural food productions, and investment promotion. Minister of Economy and Foreign Trade, Dr. Ghassan Al-Rifai, announced expected Syria’s next month accession to the International Agency of Investment Insurance in promotion of investment opportunity and security. The minister noted to the importance of setting up a joint Syrian-Italian Businessmen council, taking an advantage of Syria’s free zones, joint companies foundation, Italian companies participation in Syria’s calls for tender, trade volume increase and Italian exports increase too. Tourism Minister, Dr. Saa’d Allah Agha Al-Qalaa’, who represented the president to a ceremonial presentation of a symbolic plateau gift depicting victory and peace, announced the interest of the Italian side in supporting President Assad’s led process of reform and modernization through different integrated initiatives to provide experience and technology for scores of sectors in Syria including the fields of banking and cadre training. Actually, the beehive-like delegation accompanying the president, including Syria’s veteran Foreign Minister and ministers of economy, culture, and tourism, was around the clock immersed in intensive rounds of talks and visits in cementing the friendly relations of cooperation with Italy. The talks touched upon the importance of boosting the Syrian tourist sector as to attract Italian tourist groups to Syria’s tourist sites and resorts, which the minister of tourism cited and spoke of. An agreement was reached as to bring life to the Silk Road, organize joint weeks for tourism, archaeological sites perseverance and rehabilitation, experience exchange, and as to set up a special faculty or an Italian University branch specialized in tourism and hotels in Syria.
Actually, Syria’s long defended and sacrificed for national causes were present on President Assad’s hectic agenda. A meeting was held with Lebanese Premier, Rafiq Hariri. The meeting came out of the President’s around the clock indulgent in Arabs’ national interests and preoccupations as a further step on the way of boosting Arab solidarity and oneness of common destiny and future. Syrian Community, dear to the president’s heart, met the president in a bid to cement bilateral relations between Italy and the Motherland. As the President aspires, members of the Syrian and Arab community abroad should be true messengers and ambassadors for their respective countries and for their one HOMEland.
The visit was crowned with a meeting between two messengers of peace and mercy; His Holiness John Paul the Second, who was in a spiritual worship, met the man, whom he did admire and praise even before His Holiness met him in less than a year. It was a meeting for history records. The President presented the Pontiff a unique copy of Quraa’n, the Holy book of Islam, the religion of ‘’justice, equality and of forgiveness’’, the bad news of escalations and killings coming from the occupied territories did raise the concern of both men for stability, peace and tranquility reminiscent of the bad news coming from the same territories upon His Holiness visit to the ruins of a Church in the liberated steadfast city of Quneitra. The meeting between two messengers of peace crowned the visit with the more of success; it was a spiritual meeting between two strong believers in the true sublime teachings of religion. His Holiness shared President Assad’s concerns and interests in the importance of just and comprehensive realization. The Pontiff reiterated that no peace could be realized in Middle East without the implemewntation of related UN resolutions.
In the meantime, Syria’s First Lady was very busy in her schedule of working visits, not to mention her joint activities with the president, as a typical example for the Syrian Arab woman, whose status was acquired after late president’s more than thirty years of struggle. Syria’s First Lady, under whose patronage, an archaeological agreement was signed, spoke eloquently of the historical deep rooted relations between Syria and Italy citing the recent Italian contributions to the unearthing of Ebla findings stressing the pivotal importance of bolstering cultural cooperation among the people of both civilizations. The First Lady paid a visit to a kindergarten in Rome, and to a museum. She held a meeting with Syrian Women Community in Rome; in her meetings she was an outspoken woman of Syria’s modern woman of today. The human, artistic, archaeological, reform, cultural, technological, and modernization aspects were part and parcel of her activities.
To the dismay of some, the visit by all accounts was but another success to the Syrian wise principled policy. It is a further step forward on the way of bolstering Syria’s relations with EU countries following President Assad’s past successful visits to France, Spain and Germany. It is a further boosting to the importance of opting for just and comprehensive peace on the basis of related resolutions and terms of reference away from violence and bloodletting. It is a message to expand human relations and international cooperation via all possible means as to combat terrorism, an international plague, diametrically different from the struggle for liberation and freedom. It is a further push to a more active European political role in the region affair not to mention its stimulation of a future balanced Syrian-Euro partnership agreement. Had Zanobya, the Queen of Palmyra, spoken, she would have said that some of the past glory had been indeed restored through such a remarkable visit.
By
Mohammad Abdo Al-Ibrahim
Special for the Syria Times, Rome