Raisi's visit gives fillip to Syria-Iran relations

DAMASCUS — Iran and Syria agreed to boost ties and develop economic relations, with a focus on reconstruction, as the Islamic republic's President Ebrahim Raisi on Friday concluded a landmark visit to Damascus.

Teheran has been a key ally of Damascus throughout Syria's long-running civil war, offering vital assistance that has helped the Syrian government claw back most of the territory it lost at the start of the conflict.

During late-night talks on Thursday, Raisi and his Syrian counterpart Bashar al-Assad discussed "ways to develop and strengthen bilateral relations" and "emphasized existing cooperation in the field of reconstruction", according to a joint statement released on Friday.

Turning point

Raisi concluded his two-day trip early on Friday and described the visit, the first by an Iranian president to Syria since 2010, as a "turning point" in bilateral relations.

The visit positions Teheran in a leading role in Syria's reconstruction, with Assad seeking to focus on reviving his country's devastated economy and infrastructure, despite Western sanctions on both countries.

The pair also expressed a "willingness to take any action to develop commercial-economic relations".

On Thursday, Raisi said Iran and Syria had signed 15 "cooperation documents" that would allow "both countries to open a new chapter in economic relations".

He also praised Syria for "achieving victory" in the country's war and invited Assad to officially visit Teheran.

Iranian Minister of Information and Communications Technology Isa Zarepour said Iran will help Syria build communications satellites, official news agency IRNA reported on Friday.

The Syrian conflict, which began in 2011, has killed more than 500,000 people and displaced millions.

Large parts of northern Syria remain outside government control.

Raisi's visit comes weeks after Iran and Saudi Arabia agreed to restore ties, prompting regional capitals to reengage with Damascus and Teheran governments.

"Iran and Saudi Arabia are two great nations," Raisi said during an interview broadcast on Syrian television on Friday evening, according to an official Arabic translation provided by state news agency SANA.

The restoration of ties between the countries would change and "bring order" to the region, Raisi said.

"We refuse to consider Saudi Arabia as an enemy or be hostile to it".

Raisi also said during his interview that Iran was playing a mediatory role in Russia-facilitated talks aiming at normalizing ties between Syria and Turkey.

A meeting of Syrian, Iranian, Russian and Turkish foreign ministers is scheduled in the next few days in Moscow.

Agencies - Xinhua