Argentina Backs “Return of Golan to Syria”

During the first official visit of a Syrian president to Argentina, the South American nation's leader Friday expressed support for Palestinian statehood and called on "Israel" to return the Golan Heights to Syria.

Argentine President Cristina Fernandez also swiped at "Israel's" reliable UN ally, the United States, at a luncheon for Syria's Bashar Assad on Friday.

"The countries who have a seat on the Security Council can violate and ignore United Nations resolutions, and only the smaller countries, or those without military or economic power, are obliged to follow them," she said.

Assad and Fernandez signed accords on transportation, information and culture. Last year's bilateral trade amounted to $380 million.

Assad planned to meet with representatives of Argentina's 2.4 million-member Syrian community before heading next to Spain.