Syrian PM meets Iranian officials in Tehran

By Mustafa Melih Ahishali

TEHRAN (AA) - Syrian Prime Minister Imad Khamis visited Tehran on Tuesday where he met with Iranian First Vice-President Ishaq Jahangiri, the latter said in an official press statement.

Speaking at a joint news conference, Khamis said Syria had stood by Iran during the latter’s eight-year war with Iraq in the 1980s while Iran had stood by Syria during its recent travails.

Jahangiri, for his part, stressed the need to protect the two countries’ recent "gains".

During Khamis’ visit to Iran, the two sides also signed several MoUs in the fields of agriculture, mining and telecommunications.

Khamis also stressed that the good relations between Iran’s late Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini and late Syrian President Hafez al-Assad continued today between Syria’s Bashar al-Assad and Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and President Hassan Rouhani.

During his current visit to Iran, Khamis is also expected to meet with Rouhani.