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Bashar al-Assad may attend Yalta Economic Forum in Crimea

A delegation from France is also set to attend the forum

UFA, March 11. /TASS/. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad may attend the fifth Yalta International Economic Forum (YIEF), member of the forum’s organizing committee Andrey Nazarov informed TASS on Monday.

Earlier, Crimea’s head Sergei Aksyonov invited al-Assad to attend the Yalta forum, which will take place on April 17-20. On February 19, Syrian Ambassador to Russia Riad Haddad told reporters that the Syrian leader is unlikely to take part in the upcoming forum.

"Bashar al-Assad confirmed that if no circumstances stand in the way, he will come, which is why his visit is being developed. The Syrian delegation will be there as honored guests. <…> So we hope that Bashar al-Assad will be the one to head it," Nazarov said, adding that a delegation from France is also set to attend the forum as honored guests.

Earlier, the forum’s organizer informed that in 2019, the forum would have an expanded international agenda. In particular, there will be a section dedicated to Russian-African relations. Special attention will also be paid to the relations between Russia and Ukraine, as the Ukrainian delegation received an invitation to the forum, Nazarov added.

The previous Yalta International Economic Forum took place on April 19-21, 2018.