Iran, Syria must continue consultations on regional issues: President Assad

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad highlights strategic relations with Iran, calling for continued consultations between the two sides, particularly on regional issues, given the rapid developments in the region and the world.

Assad made the remarks in a meeting with Ali Asghar Khaji, a senior aide on political affairs to Iran’s foreign minister, in Damascus on Tuesday.

He added that the Damascus government supports the continuation of the political process on the Syria crisis, mediated by Iran, Russia and Turkey, in the Kazakh capital of Nur-Sultan, formerly known as Astana, and the talks on the activation of the country’s Constructional Committee.

During the Tuesday meeting, Khaji said the Western countries have been attempting to isolate Syria but such a policy is defeated given the developments unfolding on the battlefield against terrorists and the improvement of its relations with other states.

The senior Iranian diplomat exchanged views with President Assad on the latest developments in the talks between Iran and the P4+1 group of countries in Vienna, the conflict running between Russia and Ukraine, and the continuation of the Astana talks.

Assad and Khaji discussed ways to promote Tehran-Damascus relations in all fields, particularly in the economic sector, to serve the interests of the two friendly countries and their peoples, Syria’s official news agency, SANA, reported.

It added that the two sides discussed the future rounds of negotiations within the Astana format and in Geneva, emphasizing that the negotiations should proceed without foreign interference and based on a clear strategy in order to achieve tangible results.

According to SANA, the Syrian president and the Iranian diplomat also exchanged views on the Ukraine crisis.

They slammed the immoral measures taken by the West to fuel the crisis of its own making in Ukraine, including transferring extremists from various parts of the world to that region and imposing sanctions on the Russian people, similar to those previously placed on the Syrian and Iranian nations.

Syria FM, Iran diplomat discuss mutual relations

In a meeting on Monday, Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mikdad and Khaji discussed the distinguished relations between Tehran and Damascus and continued bilateral coordination regarding the latest developments in Syria and the region, SANA reported.

The two sides rejected any foreign intervention in the work of Syria’s Constitutional Committee, emphasizing that only Syrian-Syrian dialog can solve the problems in the war-hit country.

Mikdad outlined the positive developments in Syria, particularly the national reconciliation process in different provinces.

Khaji, in turn, briefed the top Syrian diplomat on the latest developments related to the ongoing Vienna negotiations, stressing the need for the Western parties to remain committed to their obligations under the JCPOA, especially with regard to lifting sanctions on Iran.

The senior Iranian diplomat reiterated his country’s support for Syria in the face of the challenges it has been facing.