DAMASCUS, July 9 (Xinhua) -- Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on Thursday hailed the Syrian-Iranian military agreement signed a day earlier in the capital Damascus.
Assad said the agreement highlights the strategic relations between Syria and Iran, adding that it comes as a result of years of mutual work and cooperation against the "terrorist war on Syria and the aggressive policies imposed on Syria and Iran."
The president made the remarks during his meeting with the visiting Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Mohammad Baqeri.
For his side, Baqeri stressed the importance of continuing to bolster relations between both countries in a way to achieve mutual benefits and protect against foreign interference in the internal affairs of Syria and Iran.
A day earlier, Syria and Iran signed a "comprehensive" military agreement in Syrian capital Damascus to enhance military and security cooperation on all levels.
At the signing ceremony, Baqeri said his country will enhance the Syrian air defenses in the face of foreign attacks such as the Israeli ones.
He said the presence of Iranian forces in Syria is based on the request of the legitimate Syrian government to defend the sovereignty of Syria. Enditem
