VOL. XLIII

No. 30

24-July-2000

SYRIA

Bashar Al-Asad Promises To Modernize Economy

In a rare admission of past failures, newly appointed Syrian President Bashar al-Asad told his countrymen during his inaugural speech on 17 July that though the country had been stable politically during his fathers rule, its economic performance had been erratic. "Performance on the economic front was irregular, and this was addressed by issuing laws and edicts that were usually in response to individual acts." The...