Iran's president says Syria will overcome crisis
7/16/2013 10:16:14 PM
Iran's president-elect Hassan Rowhani expressed hope Tuesday that the embattled regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad will overcome the crisis with the assistance of "benevolent forces," media reported.
Responding to a message of congratulations from Assad for his election, Rowhani "expressed certainty that with the efforts of benevolent and peaceful forces, the great and resistant nation of Syria will be able to completely pass the current situation," ISNA news agency reported.
Rowhani, who is to take office on August 3, also expressed hope for "comprehensive political and economic cooperation" with Damascus, and to "confront the plots of the enemies of the region, including the Zionist regime," the report added without elaborating.
In a separate message to Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah, Rowhani said Iran backed the Palestinians and the "Lebanese nation," while highlighting the Shiite militant group's "endeavors" for the anti-Israeli resistant front -- comprised of Iran, Syria and Lebanon.
Rowhani has said one of his foreign policy priorities is to mend difficult relations between Shiite Iran and Sunni-dominated Gulf Arab states, which have been further strained by the Syrian conflict.
Responding to a message of congratulations from Assad for his election, Rowhani "expressed certainty that with the efforts of benevolent and peaceful forces, the great and resistant nation of Syria will be able to completely pass the current situation," ISNA news agency reported.
Rowhani, who is to take office on August 3, also expressed hope for "comprehensive political and economic cooperation" with Damascus, and to "confront the plots of the enemies of the region, including the Zionist regime," the report added without elaborating.
In a separate message to Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah, Rowhani said Iran backed the Palestinians and the "Lebanese nation," while highlighting the Shiite militant group's "endeavors" for the anti-Israeli resistant front -- comprised of Iran, Syria and Lebanon.
Rowhani has said one of his foreign policy priorities is to mend difficult relations between Shiite Iran and Sunni-dominated Gulf Arab states, which have been further strained by the Syrian conflict.