(ASU), Jamal ATASSI; Syrian Communist
Party (SCP), Khalid BAKDASH; Arab Socialist Unionist Movement, Sami
SOUFAN; and Democratic Socialist Union Party, leader NA

Other political or pressure groups: non-Ba'th parties have little
effective political influence; Communist party ineffective;
conservative religious leaders; Muslim Brotherhood

Member of: ABEDA, AFESD, AL, AMF, CAEU, CCC, ESCWA, FAO, G-24, G-77,
IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF,
IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO, ITU, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, UN, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNIDO, UNRWA, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Walid MUALEM
chancery: 2215 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 232-6313
FAX: [1] (202) 234-9548

US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission: Ambassador Christopher W. S. ROSS
embassy: Abou Roumaneh, Al-Mansur Street No. 2, Damascus
mailing address: P. O. Box 29, Damascus
telephone: [963] (11) 333-2814, 714-108, 333-3788
FAX: [963] (11) 224-7938

Flag: three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and black with
two small green five-pointed stars in a horizontal line centered in
the white band; similar to the flag of Yemen, which has a plain white
band and of Iraq, which has three green stars (plus an Arabic
inscription) in a horizontal line centered in the white band; also
similar to the flag of Egypt, which has a symbolic eagle centered in
the white band

@Syria:Economy

Overview: In 1990-93 Syria's state-dominated Ba'thist economy
benefited from the Gulf war, increased oil production, good weather,
and economic deregulation. Economic growth averaged roughly 10%. The
Gulf war provided Syria an aid windfall of nearly $5 billion dollars
from Arab, European, and Japanese donors. However, the benefits of the
1990-93 boom were not evenly distributed and the gap between rich and
poor is widening. A nationwide financial scandal and increasing
inflation were accompanied by a decline in GDP growth to 4% in 1994.
For the long run, Syria's economy is still saddled with a large number
of poorly performing public sector firms, and industrial productivity
remains to be improved. Oil production is likely to fall off
dramatically by the end of the decade. Unemployment will become a
problem for the government when the more than 60% of the population
under the age of 20 enter the labor force.

National p