Italian Foreign Minister Massimo D'Alema on his arrival at the Syrian capital Damascus on Monday said that he would be looking forward to strengthening cooperation with Syria to achieve durable peace in the Middle East.

The recent UN Security Council resolution to establish an international tribunal to prosecute suspects in the 2005 assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri will be among the agenda of talks during the Italian foreign minister's two-day visit to Damascus.

On arrival in the Syrian capital, D'Alema told reporters that he will also discuss recent developments in the Palestinian territories, as well as other regional and international developments.

"We will talk with Syrian officials about Lebanon, developments in the Middle East and the Palestinian issue because we are in a very delicate moment and we have to strengthen our cooperation in order to achieve peace," he told the waiting reporters. (Source: rttnews.com)