Iran's Energy Minister Majid Namjou has expressed the Islamic Republic's readiness to reconstruct Syria's facilities damaged during the ongoing unrest in the Arab country, PRESS TV reported.
"The Islamic Republic of Iran will not leave Syria alone in such a difficult situation," Namjou said Thursday on the sidelines of a ceremony to sign two water and electricity agreements with Syria.
Syria has always supported Iran's Islamic establishment and the rights of the nation since the victory of the Islamic Revolution in Iran in 1979; therefore, Iran will not abandon support for Damascus under the circumstances that Western countries have united to hatch plots against the Arab country and undermine the security of Muslims in cooperation with terrorists, he added.
On Thursday, Iran and Syria signed two memoranda of understanding (MoUs) on the expansion of bilateral cooperation in the fields of electricity and water.
The agreements were signed by the Iranian energy minister and Syrian Minister of Electricity Imad Khamis and Minister of Water Resources Bassam Hanna.
The Iranian minister noted that Iran has been cooperating with Syria in the fields of water and electricity and Iranian private sector companies are implementing technical, development and economic projects in the country.
Namjou said that Iranian firms have voiced their readiness to rebuild power plant facilities damaged in the recent developments in Syria.
Iranian companies intend to expand their cooperation with Syria to produce and supply industrial equipment needed in the Arab country, he added.
The Syrian electricity minister, for his part, called for preparations for Iran's private sector to enhance collaborations with Damascus in implementing industrial projects.
Khamis said Syria seeks to expand cooperation with Iran on ways to use modern energies.
According to one of the MoUs, Iran will export 50MW electricity at the first phase to Syria via Iraq. The figure will climb to 200MW at the next step.
Tehran and Damascus also agreed to cooperate to export technical and engineering services and implement projects in such areas as water and waste and dam building.
Edited by: S. Isayev