Syria welcomes Iran reconstruction offer

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has welcomed the Islamic Republic of Iran’s readiness to help reconstruct his conflict-wracked country.

Speaking in a meeting with an Iranian delegation led by Rostam Qasemi, head of Iran-Syria Economic Relations Development Committee, in Damascus, Assad said Syria welcomes the preparedness of Iran and other friends of Syria for cooperation in rebuilding the country.

The Syrian president also appreciated efforts made by Iran to support Syria in all fields.

During the meeting, Qasemi said Iran is ready to share its experiences in reconstruction with Syria.

Last week, Assad swore in his new government. He was re-elected as the country’s president for a third term in an election in June, garnering 88.7 percent of the votes.

Syria has been gripped by deadly violence since 2011. More than 190,000 people have been killed in over three years of foreign-backed militancy in Syria, according to the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).

The figure is a probable “underestimate of the real total number of people killed,” the OHCHR says.

Some three million Syrian refugees have taken shelter in neighboring countries, including 1.14 million in Lebanon, 815,000 in Turkey and another 608,000 in Jordan.

Meanwhile, Takfiri terrorists have recently stepped up their attacks against civilians as Syrian army soldiers have achieved major victories in their battle against the foreign-backed militants.