Syria Won’t Make Any Concessions in Fight against Terrorism: al-Mikdad

 TEHRAN, (ST)-Speaker of the Iranian Shura Council (parliament) Ali Larijani on Monday received Syria’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Faysal al-Mikdad and affirmed to him Iran’s firm political, economic and military support for Syria as to uproot terrorism from the country.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif also met al-Mikdad and discussed with him developments in Syria as well as prospects of strategic cooperation.

In a statement following his meeting with Zarif, al-Mikdad said Syria won’t give concessions as regards fighting terrorism and it is determined to continue fighting to clear the entire Syrian land of terrorism.

 The deputy minister referred to the victories being achieved by the Syrian Arab Army in Aleppo and in Syria in general.

“Enemies have mobilized all their potentials to hit Syria as to serve the Zionist entity,” al-Mikdad said, adding that “there is a huge regional and international support for terrorists in Aleppo, but we, in Syria, Iran and Russia, are determined to defeat terrorism.

He pointed out that “the efforts being exerted to divert the world public opinion away from terrorism in Syria and to support terrorist takfiri groups will face nothing but condemnation in Syria, Iraq and all freedom loving countries.”     

“We back Iraq’s war on terrorism and support its efforts to liberate Mosul, al-Mikdad stressed, noting that the Hashed Shaabi forces are playing an important role in preventing the terrorists to proceed towards Syria. He urged joint action and coordination as to “hit terrorism everywhere in the world, particularly in Syria and Iraq.”

Al-Mikdad went on to say that the Syrian-Iranian joint political committee was formed during the visit of Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Arab and African Affairs Hussein Jaber Ansari to Damascus.

“This is the first meeting with Zarif and we met earlier with the Speaker of the Shura Council Ali Larijani and Mr. Jaber Ansari. The main objective of this political committee is to deepen bilateral ties and discuss political situation in the region and the world, because we are in full agreement on the continuity of the fight against terrorism and on the need to encourage regional and international efforts to find a solution to the crisis in Syria.”

Al-Mikdad arrived in Tehran last night on a visit to Iran at the invitation of Jaber Ansari.

Hamda Mustafa