Syrian president:

Iran-Syria military accord rooted in years of anti-terror cooperation

Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad says the recent military agreement signed by Damascus and Tehran is the result of years of cooperation in fighting against terrorism in the Arab country.

News ID: 450374

Date: 10 July 2020 - 16:40

Rasa - The Syrian president made the remarks in a meeting with the visiting Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Major General Mohammad Baqeri in capital Damascus on Thursday, a statement by Syrian presidential office said.

“This agreement reflects the strategic level of relations between Iran and Syria and is the outcome of years of common measures and cooperation in the fight against terrorism in Syria,” Assad said.

Baqeri, for his part, underlined “the importance of Iran’s continued efforts aimed at boosting bilateral ties between the two friendly and brotherly nations in all fields.”

The top Iranian military official also stressed that continued strengthening of bilateral ties is in the interests of Iran and Syria and that he supports it against any attempts to interfere in the domestic affairs of the two countries and damage their independent decision-making.

Major General Baqeri arrived in Damascus on Wednesday and signed a “comprehensive” agreement with Syrian Defense Minister Ali Abdullah Ayoub to strengthen military and defense cooperation.

The accord provides for the expansion of military and security cooperation and the continuation of coordination between the armed forces of the two countries.

The two sides also underlined the need for the withdrawal of foreign forces which have been "illegally" deployed to Syria in violation of international law and said the forces are the main obstacle to the complete cleansing of armed terrorist groups in some parts of the Arab country.

Iran and Syria have signed different military and defense cooperation over the past years.

The Islamic Republic commenced providing Syria with advisory military assistance after numerous countries, at the head of them the US and its Western and regional allies, began funding and arming militants and terrorists with the aim of deposing the Syrian president’s government.

Although the Syrian government initially lost considerable expanses of territory to the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group and other terror outfits, the country rallied to retake the lost grounds and drive out terrorists from much of the country.