President Al-Assad: Syria’s Strong Relation with Iran, Iraq Enhanced Further during the War on Terrorism

DAMASCUS, (ST)- President Bashar Al-Assad has underscored that Syria’s strong relation with both Iran and Iraq has been enhanced further during the war on terrorism and its supporters in which the blood of the Syrian hero soldiers was mixed with that of the Iranian and Iraqi soldiers.

President Al-Assad made the remarks during his meeting on Monday with Chief of the General Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces, Major General Mohammad Baqeri, and the Chief of Staff of the Iraqi Army, Lieutenant General Othman al-Ghanmi, and their accompanying delegations. The meeting was attended by Syria’s Defense Minister, Gen. Ali Abdullah Ayyoub.

The meeting proves that Syria, Iran and Iraq are in the same battle and trench against the same enemy, President Al-Assad said, hailing the meeting as being “a meeting for the principles, mainly dignity and honor, which distinguish our peoples and of which we are proud.”

 President Al-Assad was briefed by Baqeri, al-Ghanmi and Ayyoub on the results of their meetings. He reiterated the importance of continuous coordination and cooperation between the three countries to serve their interests and goals.

Maj. Gen. Baqeri affirmed that Fighting terrorism and defending Syria means defending both Iraq and Iran because terrorism poses serious threat to these three countries and targets the entire region. He stressed that all countries and peoples of the region should coordinate their efforts to fight terrorism.

On his part, Lt. Gen. al-Ghanmi said that Syria and Iraq are each others’ depth and that the borders between the two countries won’t affect the unity of the Syrian and Iraqi peoples who share the same history, geography, traditions and destiny.

He reiterated that the Iraqi forces will continue fighting terrorists along the Iraqi-Syrian borders and will boost coordination with the Syrian army in dealing with the terrorist groups.

Hamda Mustafa