TEHRAN – The Iranian ambassador to Ankara, underlining the importance of Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif’s upcoming visit to neighboring Turkey, has said the two sides are resolved to cement relations in all areas.

“During a two-day trip to Ankara which would start today, Dr. Zarif would hold talks and consultations with the officials of the friendly country, Turkey about bilateral relations and ways to strengthen them, as well as sensitive regional and international issues,” Mohammad Farazmand said on his Twitter account on Tuesday afternoon.

“The two important Islamic countries have strong wills to strengthen friendship bonds,” he added in his tweet.

Heading a high-ranking diplomatic delegation, Zarif arrived in Damascus on Tuesday for meetings with top Syrian officials, including his counterpart Walid Muallem and also President Bashar al-Assad.

The two-day tour was scheduled to later take the Iranian foreign minister to Turkey.

The meetings during the tour - part of the routine political negotiations and coordination with Syria and Turkey - focus on the major issues in bilateral relations, including the agreements agreed upon by Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and his Syrian and Turkish counterparts.

The top Iranian diplomat’s visit is also aimed at coordinating policies on regional and international developments to ensure peace and stability in the region.

Iran and Turkey, together with Russia, are the guarantors of a ceasefire in Syria which has been brokered after several rounds of peace talks, known as the Astana process.

Since March 2011, fighting in Syria has killed an estimated 465,000 people, injured more than one million, and forced about 12 million people - or half the country's pre-war population - from their homes.

SP/PA