Syrian Vice President Abdelhalim Khaddam returned here tonight after concluding an official visit to Iran, during which he delivered a message from Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to Iranian President Mohammad Khatami regarding developments in the region.
During his two-day visit to Tehran, Khaddam held discussions with Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, Chairman of the Expediency Discernment Council Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, and Iranian First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref. The discussions focused on the situation in Iraq and the occupied Palestinian territories.
Before departing Tehran, Khaddam praised the results of his visit to Iran in a press statement, stating that there was consensus on all the issues discussed, particularly the situations in Iraq and Palestine.
Khaddam mentioned that the Syrian and Iranian perspectives agreed on the importance of the United Nations temporarily administering Iraq until the Iraqis are able to form a legitimate government to lead Iraq and rebuild its constitutional institutions and governmental apparatus.
Khaddam’s surprise visit to Iran followed a visit by Iranian Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi to Damascus on the 8th of this month.
