TEHRAN, Jan. 01 (MNA) – Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad said that the presence of foreign forces in Syria is as illegitimate as occupation and aggression.

He made the remarks at the meeting with Ali-Asghar Khaji, Iranian Foreign Minister’s Senior Assistant in Special Political Affairs in Damascus, Syria.

Any illegal presence of Western and American forces and others in Syria is regarded as aggression and occupation, he stressed.

Defending against US hostile policies in the region is our permanent stance, he said, adding that the US is an all-time supporter of Israeli regime’s occupation of Arab lands.

Syria and Iran are at the forefront of the fight against terrorism, and the international community should also be involved, the Syrian official noted.

The US must stop supporting terrorism, he said, adding that US attack on the Popular Mobilization Units (PMU) truly revealed the US ugly face to the world.

MNA/ 4813123