Tehran and Damascus Monday took a further step in expanding and deepening their defense ties by endorsing a new protocol on defense cooperation. The document was signed at the end of the second round of talks in Damascus between Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Mostafa Mohammad Najjar and his Syrian counterpart Lieutenant General Hassan Ali Turkmani.
Development and consolidation of defense and military ties, efforts to base regional security on local actors and continued exchange of views and consultations to secure the two countries’ interests are among the pivotal points stressed in the protocol.
Najjar, leading a senior military delegation, arrived in Damascus on Friday evening on an official visit to Syria.
During his three-day trip, the Iranian minister attended talks with senior Syrian officials, including President Bashar al-Assad and Defense Minister Hassan Ali Turkmani, and discussed bilateral relations and important regional and international issues.
Najjar also paid visits to some military and industrial centers in Syria.