Iran, Syria vow to strengthen ties

DAMASCUS, May 05 (AFP): Iran and Syria agreed to boost ties and develop economic relations, with a focus on reconstruction, as the Islamic republic's President Ebrahim Raisi on Friday concluded a landmark visit to Damascus.

Tehran has been a key ally to Damascus throughout Syria's long-running war, offering vital economic and military assistance that has helped the Syrian government claw back most of the territory it lost at the start of the conflict.

During late-night talks Thursday, Raisi and his Syrian counterpart Bashar al-Assad discussed "ways to develop and strengthen bilateral relations" and "emphasised existing cooperation in the field of reconstruction", according to a joint statement released Friday.

Raisi concluded his two-day trip early Friday and had described the visit.