[Jerusalem Post] Herb Keinon - Diplomatic sources in Jerusalem said the purpose of Syrian President Assad's visit to Tehran over the weekend was to strengthen Syria-Iran ties. Syria's official news agency, SANA, said economic ties between the countries would be a focus of the talks, noting over a dozen joint projects in Syria, worth $896 million. Beyond these investments, Israeli officials maintain that Iran has become instrumental in propping up Syria's limping economy. The visit, said diplomatic sources in Jerusalem, would strengthen those in Israel who say that Damascus had no intention of distancing itself from Iran. SANA affirmed "identical views" of the two countries on "major regional and international" issues and hailed their rejection of "foreign dictates."
2008-08-04 01:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive