Syria’s new foreign minister visits Iran
Yusef Jalali
Press TV, Tehran
Syria’s new Foreign Minister Faisal al-Mekdad is in Iran on his first foreign trip since he was appointed.
On Monday, he met his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif.
Mekdad later met President Hassan Rouhani and Head of Iran's Supreme National Security Council Ali Shamkhani, where the two sides talked about regional issues, such as the fight against terrorism and Washington’s destabilizing role in West Asia.
Syria is one of Iran's strategic regional allies. However, despite their high level of political ties, both sides agree that the level of bilateral trades between the two countries are too low.
Last year, the trade volume between Iran and Syria was around 80 million dollars. Before the conflict in Syria began in 2011, the figure stood at over 1.5 billion. This means that the conflict has been a hurdle in the way of their bilateral trade. But, it is not the only problem. The existing US sanctions on both countries plays a significant role.
Reconstruction of Syria has been a hot topic since the expulsion of the Daesh Takfiri terrorists from the Arab country.
The United Nations estimates the cost of rebuilding Syria at 250 billion dollars. Currently, Iran is active in a range of economic sectors in Syria, from transport to energy and engineering.
Faisal al-Mekdad was named Syria's new foreign minister following the recent death of his predecessor, Walid al-Muallem.
The top Syrian diplomat says he will keep up his country's strategic cooperation with Tehran, particularly in the fight against foreign-backed terrorists in the region. He says this is a fundamental step toward restoring peace and security to Syria and West Asia.
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