Bashar al-Assad’s speech came during his meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Hussein Amir Abdullahian in the Syrian capital, Damascus.
Al-Assad said that the Turkish withdrawal from the Syrian lands is inevitable and necessary for the return of normal relations between Damascus and Ankara, according to the official Syrian news agency “SANA”.
Al-Assad discussed with Allahian the bilateral relations, the situation in the region, and the efforts related to the return of the Syrian refugees to their country.
He stressed that the sound relationship between Iran and the Arab countries contributes to the stability and prosperity of the region.
For his part, the Iranian Foreign Minister stressed the need to respect Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
He stressed the importance of strengthening bilateral relations between Syria and Iran, and his country’s keenness to implement the agreements signed during President Ibrahim Raisi’s visit to Syria.
Withdrawal is a point of contention
- The Syrian government stresses the need for the Turkish forces to withdraw from its territory before talking about the return of diplomatic relations severed since 2011.
- On the other hand, Ankara says that the withdrawal of Turkish forces from Syrian territory should not be a prelude to talks between the two parties.
- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said earlier this year that he required Assad’s assistance in combating terrorism in order to restore relations, referring to the Kurdish forces, but this does not seem to be a problem for Syria, which is also apprehensive of these forces.
- The two parties agree on several files that threaten the national security of the two countries, especially since the common border between them is more than 900 km.
- During the current year, meetings were held that brought together the defense and foreign ministers of the two countries, under Russian auspices, in order to restore relations, but there was no major development.
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