(IRNA) - Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said here Sunday that bilateral cooperation between Iran and Syria was in line with the interests of the region.
Mottaki, who has just concluded a visit to Syria, made the remarks during a meeting with Syrian Prime Minister Mohammed Naji Otri. He left Syria Sunday night.
He assessed as "determining and positive" economic cooperation between the two sides in development of the region.
He said the Iranian government fully recognizes the rich potential of the two sides for cooperation and gives importance to efforts to map out new strategies for expansion of cooperation, reports Trend.
"Tehran sets no limitation to expansion of cooperation between the state and private sectors of Iran and Syria and is ready to provide facilities in this regard," he said.
Mottaki said Tehran and Syria are both keen to promote their cultural cooperation, exchange visits and interaction between their peoples and develop their potential for hosting tourists and pilgrimages.
The Syrian premier, for his part, said ties between Tehran and Damascus are founded on a strong determination of the two sides' senior officials to expand relations in all fields and make use of their respective potentials.
He said the next meeting of the Iran-Syria Joint Committee would play a very important role in stepping up bilateral cooperation, and urged the two countries' officials to prepare the ground for new agreements.
He moreover said that his country attaches importance to long-term cooperation with friendly and powerful states such as Iran in the interest of clinching mutually beneficial projects for sustainable development.
Otri said that promotion of multilateral cooperation is on the development agenda of the Syrian government, and praised Iran's pivotal role in this respect.
He said that the declaration of the Syrian city of Aleppo (Halab) and Iranian city of Isfahan as sister cities as well as cultural capitals of the Islamic world highlights the closeness of ties enjoyed by the two sides.
During the meeting, Mottaki and Otri also discussed latest political developments in the region and stressed the need to continue their consultations.