Commitment to Strong Ties With Iran Reaffirmed

Following the visit of Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to Damascus on May 5, the Syrian media focused on what one commentator called the “unbreakable” ties between the two states.



The editor-in-chief of the official Al-Thawra daily, Asaad Aboud, wrote on May 6 that the two countries had set out a common vision for the future of Iraq as an alternative to what he termed “foreign projects” imposed by the West.



Syrian and Iranian leaders possessed the confidence to maintain their stance despite coming under international pressure to change, and had not drifted away from their interests or their principles, he added.



In a May 6 opinion piece in the pro-government newspaper Al-Watan, Ziad Haidar said Ahmadinejad’s visit was in itself a “victory” for Syria and Iran, as both countries strove to remain their independent positions.



Haidar concluded that the new western approach of engaging Syria and Iran should take their interests into account.



Earlier, the editor-in-chief of the official newspaper Tishreen, Samira al-Masalma, wrote in a May 5 article that the Iranians and Syrians had proved they were capable of standing up to international pressure, forcing regional and international powers to understand that policies can only be pursued in this region with the consent of Damascus and Tehran.