Najjar: Iran, Syria defense cooperation at highest level
Syria-Iran, Politics, 5/27/2008

Iran's Minister of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics Brigadier General Mostafa Mohammad-Najjar said today that defense cooperation between Iran and Syria is at the highest level.

He made the remarks in a joint press conference with his Syrian counterpart Lieutenant General Hassan Ali Turkmani in Tehran.

The two sides signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) supporting each other's independence and territorial integrity in regional and international fora, Najjar said.

The MoU also called for restoration of durable peace and security in the region, withdrawal of occupying and foreign forces as source of insecurity, instability and unrest in the region, exchange of high ranking defense officials and experts as well as expansion of technical and training courses.

Iran and Syria have strategic ties based on lasting principles and no one should seek to disrupt such relations, he said.

He also referred to the security pact between Iraq and the US and described it as "a loss of life and property" for the Iraqi people. The Americans claimed they aimed to remove Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein through military assault but in fact they brought tyranny instead, he said. It seems that the Iraqi people will never accept such trampling of their rights, he said.

The Americans did their best to harm existing ties between Iran and Syria but to no avail, he said adding that new developments in the region indicated that their plots have all doomed to fail.

Referring to the visit of Syrian defense minister to Iran, he said consecutive victories of Lebanese people and resistance in the country's presidential elections and the victories of Palestinians and Hamas indicated that the plots of the Americans and the "Zionists" did not bear fruits.

Ample commonalties between Iran and Syria urged them to stand shoulder to shoulder to thwart the plots of the enemies, he said. Iran's strength is now regarded as Syrian strength which proves that the two sides enjoy mutual cooperation in all fields, said the Iranian minister.

On the return of the Israeli occupied Golan Heights to Syria, he called the move propoganda plots adding that the Israeli regime is now in its worst situation and has been totally isolated at the international level and is trying to employ all tactics to overcome this situation. "Any decision by Syrian government on the return of Golan Heights would be regarded as a wise move and Iran is to support Syria in taking back that region," he said.

The Syrian defense minister, for his part, said existing cooperation between Iran and Syria has left deep impacts on restoration of peace and security in the region. The two sides could be a good support for strategic and security cooperation in both countries, he said.

On peace negotiations between Syria and Israel, he said the issue is put on the agenda on certain occasions but it seems these are only for the media. After the press conference, the Syrian minister returned to Syria on Tuesday afternoon.

During his stay, the Syrian defense minister also conferred with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadi-Nejad, IRGC commander and high ranking military officials on issues of mutual interests He also inspected Iran's Defense Ministry and became acquainted with the advancement of Iranian military industry.

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