TEHRAN – Iranian and Syrian defense ministers signed a memorandum of understanding on military cooperation here on Tuesday.

The agreement was inked by Iranian Defense Minister Mostafa Mohammad Najjar and his Syrian counterpart Lt. Gen. Hassan Ali Turkmani in their second round of negotiations.
Najjar and Turkmani had a meeting on Sunday which came a day after Syria rejected Israel’s precondition to cut off relations with Tehran in return for a peace deal.
Under the MOU, two ministers stressed to support each country’s independence and territorial integrity at the global level.
The two sides stressed the need for efforts to establish regional peace and security and urged for a pullout of occupation forces from the region which have caused insecurity, instability, and tension in the region.
They also called for exchange of higher defense delegations and further technical and training cooperation.
Earlier on Tuesday, in a meeting with Major General Yahya Rahim Safavi, the top military advisor to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Turkmani said Tehran and Damascus share “common views” on regional issues.
He also praised the two states’ efforts which are aimed at bolstering bilateral relations in line with their interests.
The two officials called for expansion of military and defense ties between the two friendly states.
Turkemani was seen off by Najjar on Tuesday afternoon