Syrian - Iranian talks on bilateral issues, Israeli aggression, Iraq
Syria-Iran, Politics, 2/14/2002

A round of talks was held on Wednesday between the Syrian Vice President Abdul Halim Khaddam and the Iranian Vice President Muhammad Rida Aref.

On the Syrian side, the meeting was attended by the deputy premier for economic affairs Muhammad al-Hussein, the minister of information Adnan Omran; the minister of finance Muhammad al-Atrash, the deputy foreign minister Suleiman Haddad and the Syrian ambassador in Tehran Turkey Saqer.

The Iranian side was attended by the minister of housing Abdul Ali Zada, and the ministers of commerce, the economy, the Iranian ambassador in Damascus.

Discussions dealt with "the developments of the current conditions and its reflections on the region, developments in the region and the continued Israeli aggression against the Palestinians."

The discussions also dealt with "the situation in central Asia and Afghanistan as well as bilateral relations between the two countries and the prospects of their developments in various areas."

On Wednesday afternoon, Khaddan and Aref resumed their talks to complete the discussions carried out between the two sides earlier in the day.

The Iranian Vice President stressed that the aim of his current visit to Syria is to make consultations with the Syrian officials in order to coordinate stances between the two countries towards developments and conditions in the region.

In statements to the press following the talks, the Iranian vice President renewed Iran's support to the national resistance movements against the Israeli occupation.

Replying to a question on the Iraqi- Iranian relations, Aref explained that the two countries are holding bilateral discussions, hoping to reach a good result conducive to peace in the future.

Replying to another question on the recent American threats to Iran, the Iranian Vice President said that these threats are not new and "we are used to such harsh stances by the side of the American administration towards us."

As for the American threats to Iraq, Aref stressed his country's rejection to the American and non- American military intervention in Iraq and the foreign intervention in the internal affairs of other states.

For his part and replying to a question on the Syrian position towards the American threats against Iran, the Syrian Vice President renewed Syria's rejections to such stances. Khaddam stressed that "national sovereignty is the legitimate right for all peoples and there is no force, whatsoever, that is able to violate or snatch the rights of peoples."

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