British Foreign Secretary Francis Pym arrived in Syria Saturday on the first stop of a Middle East tour that will also take him to Egypt.
Officials said Pym was welcomed at the airport by his Syrian counterpart, Abdel Halim Khaddam, who will host a dinner banquet in honor of his guest later Saturday.
Official discussions will begin Sunday with a meeting between Khaddam and Pym, followed by talks with President Hafez Assad.
On Monday, Pym will fly to Cairo for talks with President Hosni Mubarak and Foreign Minister Kamel Hassan Ali. Pym returns to Britain Wednesday.
