Resistance determines ME future

Deputy Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Ali Baqeri urges the continuation of resistance in the Middle East, saying it plays a determining role in the future of the region.

“The ongoing circumstances (in the region) show that resistance will determine the future of the Middle East,” said Baqeri in a meeting with Ahmed Jibril, head of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command (PFLP-GC) in the Syrian capital city, Damascus, on Sunday.

He also highlighted the significance of strengthening resistance as the “superior standpoint” in the region.

“Despite their great facilities, enemies were defeated in Iraq, Afghanistan, Lebanon and Palestine. The new government (in the United States) failed to make an achievement for those who were optimistic about the so-called peace process,” Baqeri pointed out.

Jibril, for his part, expressed appreciation for Iran’s support for resistance in the region and particularly in Lebanon and Palestine.

Meanwhile, the Iranian official held a separate meeting with Secretary General of the Islamic Jihad Movement Ramadan Abdullah Shalah in the Syrian capital earlier on Sunday.

During the meeting, the two officials exchanged views on the latest developments in the region and particularly in Palestine with regard to increasing Israeli attacks on the Palestinian people and the continuation of the Gaza blockade.

Baqeri arrived in Damascus on Saturday on a two-day visit to exchange views with senior Syrian officials on ways to expand strategic cooperation.

He said his visit to Syria is taking place within the framework of continuous consultations between the Islamic Republic and Syria on a variety of issues.

The SNSC official is scheduled to hold talks with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on Monday.

Iran and Syria enjoy amicable relations as the two countries share common stance on many regional and international issues. Tehran and Damascus have taken major steps in recent years to improve relations.

The volume of bilateral trade between the two countries currently stands at $3 billion and is expected to reach $5 billion in the near future.

In October, the Syrian president paid an official visit to the Iranian capital, Tehran, and held talks with senior Iranian officials.

In a special ceremony during the visit, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad awarded his Syrian counterpart the Grand National Order of the Islamic Republic of Iran for his resistance against arrogant powers, his defense of the rights of the Palestinian and Lebanese nations, his key role in the stability and tranquility of regional countries, and his great efforts to strengthen brotherly ties between Iran and Syria.