Damascus - Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo began an official visit to Syria Monday, receiving a rapturous response from the official press.

Arroyo arrived in Damascus on Sunday night at the head of a ministerial delegation on a trip intended to "strengthen relations" between the Philippines and Syria.

Her visit was the top story across Syria's official and semi-official newspapers on Monday, and each daily reported the details of her visit at length.

Arroyo's arrival comes weeks after the Philippines opened an embassy in the Syrian capital.

"The opening of the Philippine Embassy in Damascus was an expression of both sides' genuine desire to deepen their relations and to coordinate their positions," Damascus' official al-Thawra newspaper wrote in its top news story Monday.

The newspaper called the April opening of the embassy "a milestone in relations between the countries," and noted that the Philippines was among the first countries to recognize Syria after it declared independence 63 years ago.

Syria's official SANA news agency on Sunday quoted Philippines Ambassador to Syria, Wilfredo Cuyugan, as saying that Arroyo and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad would sign agreements on diplomatic coordination, diplomatic visas and cultural exchanges. Some 17,000 Filipinos work in Syria.

They would also seek to facilitate direct contacts between Syrian and Filipino businessmen, SANA reported, and to strengthen cooperation through the Organisation of the Islamic Conference, a group of 56 Islamic states that seeks to "promote Muslim solidarity" in economic, social and political affairs. (dpa)