Paris, (SANA) – President of the French-Syrian Friendship Group Gerard Bapt affirmed in a statement issued on Monday the importance of President Bashar al-Assad's visit to France, underlining the need for Paris to bolster relations with Syria due to its integral role in the Middle East.

In his statement, Bapt pointed out that Syria under the leadership of President al-Assad has a position in the Middle East that can't be overlooked, stressing that peace cannot be achieved in the region without Syria.

Bapt underlined Syria's pivotal role in Middle East issues, saying "It's necessary for France to have friendly relations with Syria in order to resolve these issues," affirming that the US administration's attempts for isolating Syria have failed.

H. Sabbagh / Ahmad Fathi ZAHRA