Iran's FM meets Assad in Damascus

Syrian President Bashar Assad held talks on Wednesday with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on the prospective Geneva II peace conference. A Syrian presidential statement said that the purpose of Zarif's visit was to help ensure that the international Geneva II conference on Syria brings about results that are in the interests of the Syrian people. The statement also added that the Iranian Minister affirmed his country's keenness on unifying the efforts of the region's countries to counter the challenges the region is faced with and combat terrorism to achieve security and stability. Zarif conveyed to President Assad the Iranian leadership's keenness to continue coordination and consultation with Syria in the various issues and its determination to further bolster cooperation relations between the two peoples in all areas in a way that serves their interests. Meanwhile, Assad warned that the danger of the extremist thought has become a threat to the entire world and not just against the region's countries, the statement added. Zarif has been on a tour that included Lebanon, Iraq and Jordan during which he stressed the need for concerted efforts by countries and peoples of the region to counter the phenomenon of extremism and terrorism which is threatening everyone.