Tehran, March 10: Iranian First Vice President Mohammad Reza Rahimi says the time for bullying powers to impose tyranny and to undermine nations’ will has drawn to a close.
“The time that bullying powers reined the world in by means of oppressive policies and pressurization is over,” IRNA quoted Rahimi as saying in a Wednesday meeting with the visiting Syrian Prime Minister Muhammad Naji Otri in the Iranian capital city of Tehran.
He described Iran and Syria as the pioneers of the fight against “Zionism and extremism” and praised Damascus’s strong resistance against the “Zionist (Israeli) regime.”
The Iranian vice president pointed to the “best level” of relations between Tehran and Damascus and expressed hope for the agreements, already signed by the two partners, to be implemented “accurately” in order to promote economic cooperation.
The Syrian premier, for his part, stressed the importance of bolstering relations with The Islamic Republic in all fields and called on the two allies to make use of their potentials, and to take effective steps towards achieving their common goals.
He highlighted the significance of cementing unity among “free and independent” countries and said, “Iran-Syria ties can serve as a model for the region’s countries.”
Otri arrived in Tehran at the head of a high-ranking delegation to hold talks with senior Iranian officials on ways to boost relations and on the ongoing events in the Middle East and North Africa.
Iran and Syria, which share a common position on many regional and international issues, have enjoyed strategic political, economic and cultural ties in recent years.
Bilateral trade between the two countries is currently valued at USD 3 billion and is expected to reach USD 5 billion in the near future.
——–Agencies