Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is to pay an official visit to Azerbaijan on July 8. The aim of the visit is to ensure Syria’s political and economic integration into Central Asia, Syrian mass media report.

The Syrian leader is scheduled to meet with his Azerbaijani counterpart Ilkham Aliyev, Prime Minister Artur Rasizade, Parliament Speaker Oktai Asadov and Foreign Minister Elmar Mamedyarov. Azerbaijani businessmen visisted Damascus last month and discussed bilateral trade and economic cooperation.

On June 17, the Syrian President visited Armenia at the invitation of his Armenian counterpart Serzh Sargsyan. Thus the Syrian Presisdent stood a “test of parity” between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

As to his Israeli counterpart, Shimon Peres, who recently visisted Baku, he does not seem to be in a hurry to visit Yerevan.