Syrian President Bashar Assad will define the framework and mechanism of the future implementation of the country's reform program in a speech next week. The reforms were initiated when he took over the presidency following the death of his father Hafez Assad in 2000. According to Dr. Buthaina Shaaban, minister for Syrians overseas, the president will be addressing these issues in the opening ceremony of the 10th Congress of the ruling Baath Party due to start its debates at the Umayyad Conference Palace here on Monday. "President Assad will be addressing the congress members, drawing the framework and outlines to be discussed in details by the participants. He will then join the conferees and take part in the various debates, discussions, and recommendations to be finalized by the congress for presentation to the executive authorities later as guidelines for the future development in the country," Dr. Shaaban said yesterday.
Dr. Shaaban said that some 1,150 party cadres, who have been elected by some 2 million party members from all over the country, will be discussing behind closed doors all the issues related to the development process, reforms, and the future of the country and the party. "The participants will be divided into three committees: Political, economic, and organizational," she said. Speaking on the accusations by some US and Iraqi officials that Damascus is threatening security and stability in Iraq, Dr. Shaaban said: "Syria is trying its best to control its borders with Iraq through preventing any sort of infiltration of insurgents into the neighboring Arab country. However, accusing Syria of being responsible about what is happening in Iraq is quite unacceptable and irresponsible," she stressed.