Iran, Syria ink long-term strategic cooperation agreement
Presidents of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Syrian Arab Republic have signed an agreement on “long-term strategic comprehensive cooperation” between the two countries.
Seyyed Ebrahim Raeisi and Bashar al-Assa signed the documents on Wednesday during the official visit of the Iranian president to Damascus.
The two presidents inked 14 documents in various areas, including trade, oil and energy, engineering, housing, rail and aerial transportation, free trade zones, communications and technology, earthquake reliefs, and facilitation of pilgrimage to the holy sites for the people of the two Muslim nations.
Mehrdad Bazrpash, the Iranian road minister and head of the Iran-Syria Joint Economic Commission, described the signed documents as “nearly unprecedented both in terms of number and importance of [addressed] issues.”
“A major section of these documents seeks to facilitate trade between the two countries,” he told IRIB after the signing ceremony, noting that the agreements will improve the quality and volume of bilateral trade.
Tehran and Damascus are also set to discuss the establishment of a joint bank and joint insurance that will ease trade, said the official, adding that one Syrian and one Iranian bank will carry out financial transactions till the the joint institution is set up.
According to one of the agreements, 50,000 Iranians will be able to make pilgrimage to the shrine of Hazrat Zainab (SA), the granddaughter of the Prophet Muhammad (SAWA), in Damascus on a yearly basis, using three to five direct flights every week, Bazrpash said. He added that the operation to dispatch pilgrims will start in the next two months.
Experts had earlier stressed the importance of economic aspects of Raiesi’s visit to Damascus, noting that increased economic cooperation would help confront the Western-imposed sanctions on both states.
The two presidents held a meeting earlier in the day, highlighting the importance of Iran-Syria’s long-term cooperation plan for advancing the interests of the two nations and other countries in the region.
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