The United Arab Emirates said on Monday it would provide half a million tonnes of wheat to Syria to help it cope with increasing prices, as Syrian President Bashar al-Assad visited this oil-rich Gulf country. The aid was decided by UAE President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed al-Nahayan as a token of "solidarity" between the two states, and the wheat will be bought on the international market, the official WAM news agency said.
Khalifa had a made a similar gift to Yemen while giving Egypt one million tonnes of wheat.
Assad, who arrived in Abu Dhabi Sunday, had a second round of talks Monday with the UAE president which focused on "joint Arab action" and bilateral cooperation, according to WAM. He also visited Dubai, where he met with the emirate's ruler Sheikh Mohammad bin Rashed al-Maktoum, who is also UAE vice president and prime minister.
The two leaders discussed "the peace process in the Middle East" and the situation in the Arab world, WAM said. They praised the recent Lebanese reconciliation agreement and the launch of a peace process in Lebanon, it added. The Syrian leader and Sheikh Mohammed visited landmarks sites in Dubai, including Jumairah, Dubai Marina and other heritage sites.
Assad is due to visit Kuwait on Tuesday.
