"I am very happy to be in Syria and to meet the Syrian brothers and sisters. We have very special circumstances and we were supposed to visit Syria on the eve of the Syrian elections and talk to our Syrian friends about this important event," said Zarif upon his arrival in Damascus on Wednesday.
"Unfortunately, the criminal actions of the Zionist regime have intensified since the International Day of Quds, and there have been unprecedented incidents in Al-Aqsa Mosque and the occupied territories," he added, noting, "The bombing of Gaza has also created very serious conditions in the region, and Syria, as one of the leading countries in the resistance, has a very important role to play in this regard."
The Iranian foreign minister said, "In addition to the talks on the Syrian elections and the Islamic Republic's support for the Syrian government and people, our talks will focus on the fight against terrorism."
"I will hold talks with Mr. Bashar al-Assad and Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad and other Syrian and Palestinian friends about the situation in occupied Palestine," he added.
Heading an Iranian delegation, Zarif traveled to Syria to meet with high-ranking Syrian government officials and exchange views on bilateral and regional issues, as well as to review the latest developments in the occupied territories and the Zionist regime's encroachments on Muslim shrines.
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