Al-Assad and Khatami hold talks in Damascus

Syria's Presidents Bashar al-Assad and Sayed Muhammad Khatami of Iran on Thursday evening held a meeting at al-Shaab Palace.

Present at the meeting were Vice President Abdulhalim Khaddam, Foreign Minister Farouk al-Shara and the Iranian official delegation accompanying President Khatami.

President Bashar al-Assad held a dinner banquet in honor of President Khatami in the presence of the two delegations. Talks during the meetings dealt the latest developments in the occupied Palestinian lands in light of the practices of the Israeli occupation troops against the Palestinian people, and the current situation in Iraq.

Both presidents stressed the importance of preserving Iraq's territorial integrity and independence.

They also stressed the necessity of continuing coordination and consultation between the two countries in a way to reflect their distinguished relations, expressing hope to boost relations in the interest of the two counties and peoples.

Both sides also reviewed the best means which keep the interest of the peoples in the region, stressing the importance of intensifying meetings between them in a way to achieve security and stability in the region.

Meantime, President Khatami on Thursday described the relations between Syria and Iran as strong and distinguished, referring to the continuous coordination and consultations between the two countries.

"We will discuss with President Bashar al-Assad the bilateral relations and issues of the region in general, and we always exchange visits and consultations.. and this asserts the distinguished and special relations between Syria and Iran," Khatami said in a statement to the Syrian TV on his visit to Syria.

He expressed hope that the relations will be boosted in the interest of the two countries, and in the interest of security and stability, after the chaos which was resulted by the "Zionist inhuman aggression in the whole region."

" I will confer with President Assad on finding ways for the interest of the peoples in the region." President Khatami added, stressing that the meetings are important for the just peace and stability in the region.

On the US-Israeli pressures on Syria, the Iranian President said those pressures are not new, and they are on Syria, Iran and Lebanon.