Zarif Meets Assad: Western Pressure Will Fail to Stop Terror Fight

Local Editor

Iranian Foreign Minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, confirmed that armed groups must be "cleaned out" of Syria's northwestern province of Idlib.

Zarif made the remarks on Monday while visiting Syria's capital, Damascus, where he met with Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad.

Al-Assad asserted that Western countries would not be able to deter Iran and Syria from defending their principles, the interests of the two nations, and the security and stability of the entire region.

The two sides emphasized that Western policy of threat and pressure against Syria and Iran shows the West's failure to achieve its goals in the Middle East.

The Syrian president and Iranian foreign minister hailed the current level of relations between the two countries in various fields and agreed to further continue consultations and coordination, particularly in the light of the rapidly-shifting regional and international issues.

They also discussed the latest developments in Syria and other regional countries as well as a planned summit of Iranian, Russian and Turkish presidents in Tehran.

Earlier in the day, the top Iranian diplomat held separate meetings with his Syrian counterpart Walid al-Muallem and Prime Minister Imad Khamis.

Zarif and Muallem discussed regional issues and the latest developments in Syria, including the return of the displaced people to their homeland.

The top Iranian and Syrian diplomats stressed the importance of strengthening economic cooperation and the participation of Iranian firms in the reconstruction of war-ravaged Syria as well as cooperation in international organizations, particularly the United Nations.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team