Khatami to visit Damascus very soon

Iranian diplomatic sources told the Lebanese Arabic daily al-Nahar that contacts are under way between Damascus and Tehran in preparation for an upcoming visit to be made by Iranian President Muhammad Khatami to Syria.

The Iranian sources noted that the visit is to "assert the strategy of alliance between the two countries and give bilateral relations an extra push."

The Iranian sources continued that Khatami's visit to Damascus will come after his visit to Saudi Arabia during al-Haj season, noting that from Syria, the Iranian president will visit several Arab states and will then hold a European tour.

Syrian President Hafez al-Assad and President Khatami met for the last time in Tehran during the Summit of the Organization of the Islamic Conference in 1997.