Syrian Information Minister Mohsen Bilal on Saturday called on the European Union (EU) to play a more active and influential role in establishing peace in the Middle East, the official SANA news agency reported.

During a meeting with a visiting media delegation from Spain, Bilal said the EU was able to play such a role through pressuring Israel to abide by international resolutions and the resume the peace process.

He blamed the existing problems in the region on the Israeli occupation of the Arab lands and the invasion of Iraq.

As a former Syrian ambassador to Spain, Bilal also briefed the delegation his country's position on regional issues, especially on Lebanon and Iraq.

He described the Syrian-Lebanese relations as fraternal and historical which could not be affected by any factors while praising the role of the Lebanese resistance in confronting continuous Israeli aggressions.

As for Iraq, the minister indicated that Syria had tightened security measures and supervision of the joint borders with Iraq despite the absence of cooperation from the other side.

For their parts, the delegation said they came to Syria to get acquainted with the political, economic and social life here and would convey these facts to their audience abroad.

Source: Xinhua