Iran and Syria set to renew long-term economic agreement

By ALBERT AJI and KAREEM CHEHAYEB
Associated Press

DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — Syria and key ally Iran have agreed to renew an economic strategic arrangement between the two countries as Damascus prepares to welcome Iran’s president in the near future. The announcement came Saturday after Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian met in Damascus with Syrian President Bashar Assad and Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad. The Iranian did not set a date on where or when the signing will take place. Since Syria’s uprising turned into civil conflict in 2011, Iran has sent thousands of troops to help Assad stay in power amid fighting that hs killed hundreds of thousands of civilians and displaced millions. Tehran has also been a critical economic lifeline for Syria, delivering fuel and credit lines worth billions of dollars.