On Tuesday, President Bashar al-Assad received Iranian Foreign Minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, and an accompanying delegation.
During the meeting, President Assad reiterated Syria’s denouncement of the irresponsible US action against the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, saying that it is part of erroneous US policies that constitute a main factor of the instability in the region.
President Assad expressed heartfelt condolences to the Iranian people and the families of the victims of the recent floods that affected a number of Iranian provinces.
For his part, Zarif denounced the US administration’s decision regarding the occupied Syrian Golan, saying that this decision cannot be separated from its decisions on al-Quds (Jerusalem) and the Revolutionary Guard, and that these decisions are a sign of the failure of Washington’s policies in the region.
The two sides exchanged opinions on regional developments, with President Assad asserting that adhering to national principles and positions and making the people’s interests a priority are enough to protect any country, preserve its unity, and confront any foreign conspiracies.
Zarif said that developments in the region prove the need for enhancing coordination between the two sides on all levels to benefit the two countries and enhance security and stability in the region.
President Assad and Zarif asserted that the policies of the US and some Western states will not dissuade Syria and Iran and their allies from defending the rights and interests of their peoples.
The two sides noted that the West, and particularly the United States, should resort to diplomacy, instead of waging wars and employing economic terrorism against those who disagree with them.
The meeting touched on the next round of Astana talks, stressing the importance of coordination between Damascus and Tehran to achieve Syria’s national interest.
Talks also dealt with the agreements between the two sides, joint projects, their stages of implementation, and the difficulties facing them, as well as expanding cooperation in the future.
In the same context, Syria’s Foreign Minister, Walid al-Muallem, met Zarif and the accompanying delegation, discussing with him the importance of enhancing the strategic relations between the two countries in all fields.
They also discussed developments in Syria and the region, with the two sides’ expressing matching viewpoints regarding all the issues that were discussed.
In a statement to journalists at the Foreign and Expatriates Ministry, Zarif stressed his country’s continuation of work with Syria in confronting the cohesive economic measures imposed on the Syrian and Iranian peoples, renewing Iran’s support for Syria.
He pointed to the constant talks related to economic cooperation between Syria and Iran, clarifying that positive discussions have been held with regards to transportation lines between Iran, Iraq and Syria, expressing at the same time hope for more cooperation in this field.
On the situation in Idleb, Zarif described the threat of Jabhat al-Nusra terrorists to civilians as “dangerous”, pointing out that he is going to discuss this issue during his visit to Turkey and the need for work by those participating in Astana to tackle it.
This article was edited by The Syrian Observer. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
