Istanbul, Turkey (SANA)-Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem expressed content over advance of the Arab-Turkish ties in general and the positively progressing Syrian-Turkish relations in particular.

Addressing the First Meeting of the Foreign Ministers' Arab-Turkish Forum which was opened in Istanbul on Saturday, Minister Moallem said this progress is a natural things for such relations to cover political, economic, social, financial and cultural fields.

Minister Moallem indicated that "despite these positive developments in relations we are still in need to more steps to outline the joint vision of the Arab countries and Turkey to establish security, stability and prosperity in the Middle East.

He pointed to the need to encourage more dialogues and respect among different cultures, expressing the hope that this Forum will serve as the sought-for outline for this drive.

The Syrian Foreign Minister voiced Syria's appreciation of Turkey's stances in support of Syria and the Arab issues in the UN and the regional and international conferences, in particular Turkey's efforts to establish the just and comprehensive peace in the Middle East in line with the international legitimacy resolutions, the land-for-peace formula and the Arab peace initiative which had been endorsed in the latest Damascus Arab Summit in March.

The Forum will discuss three main topics on cooperation: The first on political, social and cultural issues, the second on the dialogue among civilizations, and the third on mechanism of implementation.

There is agreement among the participants that annual meetings be held on the level of Ministers to follow up on these issues.  

Ahmad Fathi ZAHRA