Damascus (Syria), Feb. 24 (AP): After consolidating political ties, regional allies Syria and Iran moved to strengthen economic ties by signing a host of cooperation agreements in the fields of economy, trade, oil, agriculture and others.
Syrian Prime Minister, Naji al-Otari, said at a joint press conference with visiting Iranian Vice-President, Parziv Davoudi, yesterday that the agreements included one for favoured trade between the two countries, and another for establishing gas, oil, railroad and electrical links between Syria and Iran through neighbouring Iraq.
Memorandums of understanding were also signed spelling joint cooperation in the fields of electric power and a programme for cultural, scientific and educational cooperation. An agreement for agricultural cooperation was also signed, al-Otari said.
Davoudi is accompanied by a high ranking delegation which includes a number of cabinet ministers and senior political as well as economic officials.
Syrian Economy Minister, Amer Lutfi, said recently that trade between Iran and Syria stood at USD60 million, USD57 million of them Iranian exports to Syria.
Iran and Syria both face international pressure and the threat of sanctions, and have forged an alliance that was consolidated last month during a visit by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad to the Syrian capital Damascus.
Al-Otari reiterated yesterday that Syria supports Iran's right to acquire nuclear technology for peaceful purposes. He said he discussed with Davoudi the situation in the region and condemned what he described as the "defamation campaigns" against Syria and Iran.
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