Syria s Assad receives Arab National Congress delegation headed by Hamdeen Sabahi
The ANC is a political framework bringing together a host of nationally oriented Arab personalities.
The meeting focused on "Arabism national thought … and the role of Arab parties towards the Arab street in light of the increased challenges and the Western intellectual invasion," read the statement.
They also tackled means to "support Syria in the face of sanctions and the unjust siege," noted the statement.
Al-Assad stressed to the delegation that national action must be based on the intellectual and practical levels, as Arab nationalism is still present at the popular level.
All attempts to destroy Arab nationalism over the past years have not succeeded, he added.
"What we [need to do today] is to pick up the tools and ideas that form an important basis for national action," the statement quoted the Syrian president as saying.
The ANC's members stressed the need for popular mobilization to rebuild Syria and break the siege on it, according to the statement.
Sabahi’s visit raised controversy on social media as many Egyptian users rejected the move and said it does not represent the country.
The Egyptian politician is a former presidential candidate, the former head of the Karam party, and the current secretary-general of the ANC.
In early May, the Arab League welcomed back Syria's government, ending a more than decade-long suspension.
In a major step in normalizing relations, Al-Assad attended the Arab League Summit in Jeddah on 19 May upon an invitation from the Arab bloc.
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