Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Mualem in a meeting with his Iranian counterpart Manouchehr Mottaki on Monday said that Damascus and Tehran share similar views about the need for anti-terrorism efforts in northern Iraq. “Our stances on the fight against terrorism in northern Iraq are parallel with those of Iran,” Mualem said according to a statement released by the Foreign Ministry’s Information and Press Bureau.
He also noted Iran and Syria’s shared stances on regional issues, and said that the two countries’ continued consultation about regional developments serves regional peace and stability and provides a significant assistance for regional nations to confront different challenges.
Regarding developments in Lebanon, the Syrian minister stressed the need for a comprehensive agreement among all Lebanese groups on the election of the next president, and said, “(only) A Lebanese plan could result into the solution of Lebanon’s problem.”
For his part, the Iranian foreign minister pointed to the two countries’ good relations, and voiced pleasure with the proper steps taken by the two sides to further expand bilateral ties.
He said that both Tehran and Damascus strive to utilize the abundant potentials existing for the expansion of economic relations.
Mottaki noted the next meeting of the two countries’ joint economic cooperation commission at the end of this year, and elaborated on Iran-Syria cooperation plans, including an underway pipeline project for taking Iran’s gas to Turkey and Syria and several other completed projects waiting to be commissioned in the near future.
He also pointed to the endorsement of a multilateral agreement by Iran, Syria, Malaysia and Venezuela for the construction of an oil refinery as among new activities launched by the two sides to expand multilateral cooperation.