Damascus: Syrian Foreign Minister, Asaad Al Shaybani, and his visiting French counterpart, Jean-Noel Barrot, held discussions on Thursday aimed at strengthening bilateral relations between their countries.

According to Qatar News Agency, the meeting between the two ministers also included an exchange of views on recent regional developments and a range of issues of mutual interest. The visit by the French foreign minister to Damascus marks the beginning of a Middle East tour that will also take him to Iraq and Lebanon.