Khaddam continues visit to Iran

Higher Guide of the Islamic revolution of Iran Ayatullah Ali Khamaeni and Chairman of the Iranian Expediency Academy, Hashimi Rafsangani received separately in Tehran yesterday Syria's Vice-President Abdul Halim Khaddam.

Talks during the two meetings dealt with the developments in the Palestinian cause and the Israeli acts against the Palestinian people.

Khaddam said "we discussed the Palestinian situation, the Israeli crimes against the Palestinian people and we stressed the necessity that the international community to bear responsibility to support the Palestinian people through forcing Israel to commit itself to the international resolutions and withdraw from all occupied Arab territories." Khaddam added that " we discussed the Iraqi situation and the plight that the Iraqi people is suffering due to the American occupation." Khaddam stressed the necessity for offering aid to the Iraqi people to restore their unity and to form their national government under the supervision of the UN. The two sides stressed the necessity for ending the occupation and the necessity for the American troops to withdraw from Iraq.

They also asserted the necessity for the neighboring countries to support the Iraqi people in order to enhance their national unity and enable the Iraqi people to form their national government under the supervision of the UN.

Vice-President Abdul Halim Khaddam returned to Damascus after paying a two-day official visit to Iran.

Khaddam conveyed a message from President Bashar al-Assad to his Iranian counterpart President Muhammad Khatami on the latest developments in the region and the threats facing it.