Tehran, Iran, January 1
By Mehdi Sepahvand - Trend:
Tehran and Damascus are going to hold the first session of a series of meetings to discuss how to start sending Iranian pilgrims to Syria, Iranian Ambassador to Damascus Rauf Sheybani said.
According to Sheybani, a joint committee has been launched to investigate the necessary measures to resume sending pilgrims, ISNA news agency reported January 1.
The official said no time can be yet named when Iranian pilgrims will start being dispatched.
On December 29, Iranian Haj and Pilgrimage chief Said Owhadi and Syrian Ambassador to Tehran Adnan Mahmoud discussed the issue in a meeting in Tehran.
Owhadi had signed an MoU with Syrian officials about resuming pilgrimage to Syria back in October.
Iran stopped sending pilgrims by land to Syria in early 2012 after a number of Iranian pilgrims were kidnapped on their way there.
According to Iranian media, some of the kidnapped pilgrims were retired IRGC members.