TEHRAN - Hassan Qazizadeh Hashemi, Iran’s health minister, met Syrian counterpart Nizar Yazigi in Damascus on Thursday to review means to solve the issues standing in the way of implementing health and medical cooperation agreements signed between Syria and Iran.

Yazigi said his department will do its best to raise obstacles, referring in particular to the obstacles concerning registration of medicines, so as to accelerate medicine import from Iran.

Hashemi, for his part, said Iran will do every possible effort to support Syria and help it get through the current crisis, explaining that Iran will continue exporting home-made medicines and medical equipment necessary to meet the needs of the Syrian people within a long-term strategy.

In a press statement following the meeting, Yazigi said the meeting came in the framework of continuous consultations and to follow up on the bilateral talks held lately in Tehran and the mechanisms to implement the joint memorandum of understanding for medical and therapy cooperation signed in August.

Hashemi also met Prime Minister Wael al-Halaqi and was briefed on some of the major needs of the Syrian health sector, including special types of medicines and medical equipment, which might be supplied by Iran and other friendly countries.

The Iranian minister told reporters after the meeting that the talks focused on health cooperation, mainly in the scientific field and trade of medicines and medical supplies.

Also, Hashemi discussed with Syria’s Higher Education Minister Mohammad Amer Mardini cooperation in the fields of research, education, building capabilities in health sectors and exchanging experts and delegates.

Mardini affirmed during the meeting that work is underway to launch surgical operations of liver transplant in the Syrian university hospitals in the presence of liver surgeons from Iran.

The Iranian health minister, for his part, reaffirmed that Tehran is committed to offer its energies and capabilities and expertise to the Syrians in medical sciences in addition to making use of the skills by Iranian experts in the fields of liver, heart, and intestines transplant and in other medical domains.

---Hashemi meets Lebanon’s Nasrallah

Hashemi, who had travelled to Lebanon prior to his visit to Damascus, met Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah in Beirut.

There, he said Iran is going to launch two medical schools in Lebanon and also pave the way for the export of medical goods and equipment there.

Underlining Iran’s support for Lebanon over the past 37 years, Hashemi said Tehran will never hold back any aid.

Nasrallah, for his part, thanked the Iranian nation for their support and called for bilateral talks and exchange of visits.

SP/P