Syrian President Bashar al-Assad stressed the need to end the presence of “illegal foreign powers” on Syrian soil.
Assad was speaking during a meeting in Damascus Saturday with Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and the accompanying delegation.
Discussions touched on the strategic relations between their countries. They addressed efforts to bolster ties through executive work programs to develop and expand areas of cooperation in all fields, which serve the interests of the two friendly peoples, especially in economy and trade, reported the state-owned Syrian News Agency (SANA).
The two sides also discussed field developments, and Assad stressed the importance of combating terrorism in Syrian territories and ending any illegitimate presence in the country.
SANA added that the talks tackled the latest regional and international developments. The officials stressed the need to continue political consultation and coordination, especially since Iranian and Syrian visions and policies regarding challenges in the region have proven their effectiveness.
Talks also tackled the situation in Afghanistan in wake of the US troop withdarawl and its impact on regional countries.
Assad said the withdrawal should allow neighboring countries to establish a shared vision to consolidate civil peace and ensure that Afghanistan does not become a terrorist hotspot.
The Iranian minister briefed Assad on the developments related to the Iranian nuclear file and his government’s efforts to achieve sustainable growth and cooperation with its neighboring countries. He also addressed efforts to end sanctions imposed on the Iranian people, reported SANA.
