Assad, Erdogan Hope for Stability in Lebanon, Efforts to Avoid Egyptian People More Suffering

Syrian President Bashar Al Assad and visiting Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday held a meeting during which they discussed the developments in the region as well as the bilateral relations.
The two counterparts "agreed to exert all efforts possible for the stability, security and prosperity of Lebanon," Syria's state-run news agency SANA reported.

Syrian Prime Minister Mohammad Naji Otri, Foreign Minister Walid Al Moallem and Presidential Political and Media Advisor Bouthaina Shaaban attended the meeting on the Syrian side and Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglo and the Turkish ambassador in Syria attended the meeting on the Turkish side.

"The two sides also discussed the latest developments in the regional and international arenas, particularly the situation in Egypt, as the two sides hoped that security and stability will return to Egypt and rallying efforts as to spare the Egyptian people the more of suffering in realization of its demands, ambitions and willingness," said a statement issued after the two men's meeting in the city of Aleppo. 

Also, the two Presidents expressed satisfaction over bilateral relations, also expressed deep satisfaction over the solid cooperation the relations are witnessing in all fields.

President Al Assad and Erdogan stressed the importance of continuing work and coordination by the two countries through high-level transparent dialogue on various issues facing the region to find a secure environment to realize stability and enhance economic cooperation in the interest of the Syrian and Turkish peoples and peoples of the region.

Erdogan was in Syria to take part in a landmark ceremony for a joint "Friendship Dam" to be built over the Orontes River at the border between the two countries.

The project, whose storage capacity reaches 115 million cubic meters, aims at regulating the course of the river and warding off flood threats to the villages, farms and agricultural lands and crops, in addition to irrigating and increasing the planted areas on both sides of the river.
The dam is 580 meters long and 14,5 meters high. It aims at generating electricity and establishing tourism facilities around the lake, as well as improving fishery resources and creating job opportunities for the inhabitants in the region on both sides.