Zarif Arrives in Turkey after Syria Visit


TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Foreign Minister of Iran Mohammad Javad Zarif went to Turkey after paying a one-day visit to Syria, saying Tehran seeks to settle the region’s problems through dialogue.

Speaking to reporters upon his arrival in Ankara on Tuesday evening, Zarif said he is going to meet Turkish officials for talks about the economic and political cooperation between the two countries.

The minister also said he will pursue the decisions made at the most recent meeting of the high commission of Iran-Turkey cooperation.

He further noted that the issues relating to Syria and North Africa will be discussed in his meetings in Turkey.

Asked about the results of the trip to Syria, Zarif said he had a very productive meeting with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and held talks about the bilateral ties and the Astana peace process.

He said the other topics mooted at the meeting with President Assad included the situation in East Euphrates and Idlib, the necessity for the foreign forces to pull out of Syria, and an end to the presence of terrorists in the Arab country.

“We are willing to see that Syria’s problems are resolved through dialogue, particularly among the regional states,” Zarif stressed.

Heading a ranking diplomatic delegation, Zarif arrived in Damascus on Monday for meetings with top Syrian officials.

His two-day tour of Syria and Turkey is aimed at the coordination of policies on the regional and international developments in order to ensure peace and stability in the region.