Syria visit: Iranian FM reaffirms Tehran’s willingness to expand ties with Damascus
Iran’s foreign minister has reaffirmed the country’s determination to expand relations with Syria under a long-term cooperation deal signed between the two countries in May.
Hossein Amir-Abdollahian made the remarks in a meeting with Syria Prime Minister Hussein Arnous in the Syrian capital Damascus on Wednesday.
According to a statement by the Iranian Foreign Ministry, Amir-Abdollahian said the document can serve as a roadmap for closer cooperation in various fields, particularly energy.
Describing Syria as a “brotherly” country, Amir-Abdollahian said Iran has been a friend of the Arab country in its hard times, adding that Tehran is determined to continue supporting Syria in the face of Western sanctions.
Arnous, for his part, appreciated Iran for supporting his country in various fields, and described bilateral ties as “deep-rooted.”
The Syrian official expressed satisfaction about the course of the implementation of previous agreements signed between the two countries, including the construction of power plants by Iranian firms in Syria.
Arnous also hailed Iran’s accession to the BRICS group of emerging economies, saying it attests to Iran’s economic strength and diplomatic clout.
Addressing the 15th BRICS Summit in Johannesburg last week, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa announced that the member states had agreed to admit Iran, Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia as new members from January 1, 2024.
BRICS was formed by and initially consisted of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, which collectively represent about 40 percent of the global population and a quarter of the world’s gross domestic product (GDP).
In their Wednesday meeting, the top Iranian diplomat and the Syrian premier also discussed the implementation of the 15 agreements reached during Iranian President Ebrahim Raeisi’s high-profile visit to Syria in May.
They reviewed a number of joint ventures in the fields of finance, banking, energy, communications, industry and tourism, and the steps taken to facilitate joint cooperation and overcome obstacles on the way, SANA reported.
Amir-Abdollahian arrived in Syria on Wednesday to hold talks with senior officials of the Arab country. He said in a post on his X social media account that he had departed for Syria to expedite the implementation of the agreements reached earlier between the two countries’ presidents.
Amir-Abdollahian also said his trip was aimed at advancing Iran’s policy of good neighborliness in the region, underlining Iran’s focus on the establishment of stability and peace in Syria.
