Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi Wednesday met Syrian President Bashar Assad in Damascus in a bid to boost cooperation between the two allies, state media reported.
Raisi, who is a leading a high-ranking political and economic delegation in a two-day visit to Syria, was received on arrival at Damascus International Airport Wednesday by Syrian Economy Minister Samer al-Khalil.
“Syria’s government and people have gone through great hardship,” Syrian state media quoted Raisi telling Assad during the meeting. “Today, we can now say that you have overcome all these problems and were victorious despite the threats and sanctions imposed against you.”
He is also set to visit the Sayida Zeinab and Sayida Ruqayya shrines, both holy sites in Shia Islam, as well as the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, a monument dedicated to Syrian soldiers killed in battle.
The last Iranian president to visit Syria was President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in 2010.
The Iranian president’s visit comes as some Arab countries, including Egypt and Saudi Arabia, have been opening up to Assad and their foreign ministers have visited Damascus in recent weeks.
Syria’s foreign minister also visited the Saudi capital of Riyadh in April, the first such visit since the two countries cut relations in 2012.
In March, Iran and Saudi Arabia reached an agreement in China to re-establish diplomatic relations and reopen embassies after seven years of tensions.
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