Minsk, (SANA)- President Bashar al-Assad called on the Syrian community in Belarus to employ their investments and economic potentials in the ongoing development process in Syria.
Meeting members of the community at his residence in Minsk on Tuesday, President al-Assad stressed their important role in consolidating the bilateral relations between Syria and Belarus in all economic, social and cultural fields.
The President underlined the importance of communication with the motherland and providing it with technological and scientific expertise.
President al-Assad briefed the community on Syria's stances regarding all issues and developments in the Middle East region.
The President listened to proposals and ideas of the community for activating the Syrian community's role in consolidating the Syrian-Belarusian relations.
For their part, members of the Syrian community thanked President al-Assad for receiving them and for Syria's interest in Syrian expatriates abroad, asserting that Syria's principled and firm stances positively affect the position of the Syrian communities in these countries.
Later, President al-Assad visited MAZ heavy load trucks manufacturing plant and MZKT Wheeled Tractor Plant in Minsk.
The President listened to an explanation of manufacturing process, including its stages and types of vehicles manufactured.
President al-Assad pointed to the possibility of benefiting from Belarus experience in manufacturing buses and vehicles through establishing joint production lines in Syria to cover local market and develop the Syrian experience in automobile industry.
Syrian Minister of Industry Fuad Issa al-Juni, Minister of Presidential Affairs Mansour Azzam and Syria's Ambassador to Belarus Farouk Taha accompanied President al-Assad in the visit.
President al-Assad also visited the National Library of Minsk and toured its sections as he was briefed on its cultural activities and the services it provides in addition to the modern technology used in it.
President al-Assad pointed out to the importance of exchanging expertise between Syria and Belarus with regard to using information technology in the office work and the contribution to qualifying and training staff that are capable to activate the role of libraries in developing society.
At the end of President al-Assad's visit to the library, he wrote down a word in the Honor Book, expressing pleasure over visiting the library being a pioneer cultural institution and an information-rich center in addition to being a unique archeological edifice. He pointed out to the library's important role in boosting cultural cooperation between the two countries.
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko held a luncheon banquette in honor of President al-Assad at the National Library where they continued talks and agreed on the importance of continuing cooperation and coordination between the two countries as well as setting practical mechanisms to achieve what has been agreed on during the visit.
Also during the day, Syria and Belarus signed three agreements and memos related to cooperation between Syria's General Organization for Engineering Industries (SGOEI) and Minsk Company for manufacturing and assembling trucks. Another memo was signed between Syrian and Belarusian companies for engineering industries.
An agreement for agricultural cooperation was also signed between Syria's Agriculture Ministry and the Belarus Research Institute of Fruit Growing.
© SANA (Syria Arab News Agency) 2010
