On Monday, President Bashar al-Assad met the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution of Iran, Ayatollah Sayyid Ali Khamenei, in Tehran.
President Assad congratulated Mr. Khamenei and the Iranian people on the 40th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution, which has formed, over the past four decades, an example that should be followed to build a powerful state that is capable of realizing the interests of its people and standing up against foreign interventions.
During the meeting, the two sides reviewed the strong relationship between the two countries and affirming that this relationship is the main factor of the steadfastness of Syria and Iran against the hostile plots of states, which seek to weaken the two countries and destabilize them.
Mr. Khamenei, for his part, congratulated President Assad and the Syrian people, the army and armed forces, on the victories achieved against terrorism, saying that these victories have dealt a blow to the US-western project in the region, but that they must be prepared for what comes next.
The Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution reiterated that his country’s support to Syria will continue until the country has completely recovered and overcome terrorism.
Talks during the meeting dealt with the latest developments in the region. President Assad pointed out that to realize the interests of the peoples in the region, their governments must stop yielding to the will of some western states, mainly America, and adopt balanced polices based on respect for the sovereignty of states and non-interfering in their affairs.
The two leaders stressed that the escalation policy and the attempt to spread chaos, adopted by some western states, especially in Syria and Iran, will not prevent the two countries from defending the interests and rights of their people.
Later, President Assad met the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Hassan Rouhani, with both sides expressing satisfaction over the strategic relationship between the two countries.
President Assad thanked Iran, its leadership and people, for what they have offered Syria during the war, while President Rouhani affirmed that Iran’s support of Syria stemmed from a principled stance to support the legitimacy that resists terrorism.
“The victory of Syria is a victory for Iran and the Islamic nation as a whole,” President Rouhani said, affirming that Tehran will continue to help the Syrian people in any way they it can, until terrorism is eliminated and the reconstruction process can begin.
The talks also dealt with the efforts exerted in the framework of Astana to end the war on Syria. President Rouhani briefed President Assad on the latest Sochi meeting that brought together the three guarantor states within the Astana framework.
Viewpoints were identical on means of achieving the aspired-for progress in that framework in a way that retains Syria’s territorial integrity, independence and sovereignty as well as eliminating terrorism on all its territory.
The two presidents agreed to continue coordination between the two sides on all levels in the interest of the two countries.
This article was edited by The Syrian Observer. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
