Newly appointed Syria FM makes first visit to Iran

Syria’s recently appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, Dr Faisal Mekdad, has made his first official visit to Iran, arriving in the capital Tehran yesterday evening at the invitation of his Iranian counterpart, Javad Zarif.

Syrian state news agency SANA reported that Mekdad and his accompanying delegation were received by a number of senior officials of the Iranian Foreign Ministry and members of the Syrian embassy in Tehran.

During his visit, the minister is expected to hold several meetings focussing on ways to strengthen bi-lateral ties with Tehran in various fields.

Mekdad was appointed foreign minister last month following the death of his predecessor, veteran diplomat Walid Muallem. Prior to his new role, Mekdad had been serving as deputy foreign minister since 2006 and has held previous diplomatic positions including envoy to the UN.

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