Bulgarian President receives Syrian counterpart, says he backs Damascus efforts to recover the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.

Bulgaria on Tuesday backed Syria\'s attempts to develop closer ties with the European Union as well as its position on the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, on the first visit by a Syrian head of state in 24 years.
  
Bulgarian President Georgy Parvanov said after talks with his Syrian counterpart Bashar al-Assad that he backed Damascus\' efforts to recover the Golan. "I have already expressed my support for Syria\'s stance on the Golan Heights," Parvanov said, without elaborating.
  
During a visit to Cyprus last week, Assad had praised Nicosia as an important ally within the European Union in Damascus\' efforts to recover the territory.
  
Assad meanwhile urged Sofia on Tuesday "to play its role, both in its bilateral relations with Israel and within the EU, to urge Israel (to continue) the peace process."
  
Parvanov said the two leaders had discussed a long dormant Association Agreement between the EU and Syria. They had spoken at length "on the idea of restarting work on the EU-Syria Association Agreement, as there has been some delay there and some questions remain unsolved and require additional discussions," Parvanov said. "I assure you that in future talks on EU-Syrian ties, Bulgaria will be one of the active factors in forming the (EU) position on Syria," he added.
  
Assad\'s trip to Bulgaria was the first by a Syrian head of state since his late father and former president Hafez al-Assad visited communist Bulgaria 24 years ago.
  
The two countries, close allies and trade partners during communism, hailed on Tuesday the resumption of political ties and expressed hopes of further economic cooperation.
  
Assad was to travel on to Romania on Wednesday.