"The strong relations existing earlier between the USSR and Syria form a strong foundation for our cooperation with Russia," she said.
The spokesman for the Syrian Foreign Ministry noted that "the situation in which our countries were found following the collapse of the Soviet Union led to a stagnation in our relations. This period has now been overcome."
Syria is in need of a more active development of trade and economic relations with Russia, she said. "We should take a new look on the development of trade contacts. We can gain an increased trade turnover between our countries, which will be to the common good," she stressed.
Bushra Kanafani also noted that Damascus is looking forward with great optimism to the visit to Syria by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. "The visit by the Russian foreign minister and his delegation will without doubt lay the foundation for future cooperation between our countries in different areas," she said.
Syria is for Russia to play a more active role in settling the Middle East and Iraq, she said. "We hope for the strengthening of Russia's influence on the process of the Middle Eastern settlement both within the quartet of international intermediaries and other international initiatives in this direction," Kanafani said.
Minding its influence and the history of its relations with Iraq, Russia should together with other states play the most active part in the rehabilitation of that country, Bushra Kanafani said.
