Iranian FM Meets President Assad in Damascus
DAMASCUS (Dispatches) -- Iranian Foreign Minister Hussein Amir-Abdollahian met and held talks with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad here Saturday after arriving from the Lebanese capital at the head of a delegation.
The minister arrived earlier in the day to hold discussions on expansion of bilateral relations, areas of common interest as well as regional and international developments.
He was received by his Syrian counterpart Faisal Mekdad upon arrival at Damascus airport.
Earlier, the Iranian foreign minister had held meetings with senior Lebanese officials during his stay in Beirut.
Speaking at a joint press conference with his Lebanese counterpart Abdallah Bou Habib on Friday, Amir-Abdollahian reiterated Iran’s unwavering support for the Lebanese nation and resistance forces against Israeli threats, and voiced Tehran’s preparedness to construct power plants in the country to ease its electricity crisis.
The Iranian foreign minister said the two sides explored avenues to promote reciprocal cooperation in the fields of trade, economic and tourism.
Amir-Abdollahian noted that Iran, which enjoys great technological capabilities, stands ready to construct the power plants that Lebanon needs within the framework of an agreement that will be finalized.
The top Iranian diplomat also pointed to noteworthy negotiations with the secretary general of Lebanon’s Hezbollah resistance movement, and noted that the resistance front is now in an excellent condition.
In a post on his Twitter account on Friday night, Amir-Abdollahian said he had held “important and essential negotiations” with Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah.
“The resistance is undoubtedly in its best condition in order to ensure regional security maximally,” the top diplomat added.
In talks with Lebanese Parliament speaker Nabih Berri, the minister said Iran has always supported Lebanon’s stability and security.
Iran, he said, will never interfere in Lebanon’s domestic affairs but will spare no efforts to help the Arab country if asked.
Berri, for his part, hailed Iran’s support for Lebanon at different junctures and said the two countries can improve relations in various areas.
Strengthening bilateral cooperation will serve the two countries’ interests, he added.