According to diplomatic sources, the Syrian President and his Lebanese counterpart Michel Sleimane are set to meet on the sidelines of the Paris summit to discuss the issue of diplomatic relations.

"The development of stronger economic and trade relations is also very important for both Syria and France," said one Syrian diplomat. Al-Assad, according to reliable sources, is keen "to boost cooperation in the fields of oil, energy, transport and aviation."

"In this respect, the political circumstances, which had put the countries at loggerheads, have disappeared. France is preparing for a broad economic and trade cooperation with Syria," the official Syrian daily as-Saoura reported Monday.

For the newspaper, the recent signing of an agreement with the French construction giant Lafarge for contracts worth 1.2 billion dollars for the construction of two cement factories in Syria is "a prelude to several huge French investment projects."

(Xinhua News Agency July 11, 2008)