MOSCOW, Jan 26 (AFP) - Russia and Syria said Wednesday they planned to sign agreements on participation of Russian companies in various projects focusing on development of oil and gas resources in Syria, Russian news agencies reported.
Russian Industry and Energy Minister Viktor Khristenko and Syrian Oil Minister Ibrahim Haddad discussed several projects including development of known resources and construction of several pipelines including the Syrian portion of the Pan-Arab pipeline project, Interfax said.
Another agreement in preparation centered on work by Russia's SoyuzNefteGaz and the Syrian Oil and Natural Resource Ministry on exploration and development of two oil and gas deposits in Syria over a 25-year period.
Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov held talks with visiting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and said afterwards that Moscow was ready to cooperate with Syria "in every direction," including in facing "new challenges and threats" in the Middle East region.
"Russo-Syrian cooperation has a rich history and traditions and we are going to treasure them and hope to broaden them," ITAR-TASS news agency quoted Fradkov as saying after his meeting with Assad.
Syrian Foreign Minister Farouk al-Shara meanwhile met his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, and said afterwards that Damascus wanted to establish "stable and strong relations with Russia," Interfax reported.
The Syrian minister also said Russia should remain engaged in the stalled Middle East peace process.
"Russia is not a mediator -- it is a great power, a member of the UN Security Council and a co-sponsor of the Middle East settlement" process, Interfax quoted al-Shara as saying.
The two countries on Tuesday pledged to restore Soviet-era ties, striking an accord on Damascus' debts to Moscow and future military cooperation despite Israel's apparent success in torpedoing Russian weapons sales to its arch-enemy.
Assad, whose visit to Moscow provoked a row between Israel and Russia over reported plans to sell advanced Russian missiles to Syria, signed a declaration with Russian President Vladimir Putin on defence ties.
01/26/2005 16:39 GMT - AFP