TEHRAN President Mohammad Khatami said here Sunday that cooperation between Iran and Syria has entered a new phase and that it should be promoted in all fields.

Khatami, receiving credentials of new Syrian Ambassador to Tehran Tarky Muhammad Saqer, said Tehran-Damascus ties have further consolidated following the 1979-Islamic Revolution.

He hailed Syria as a harbinger of struggle against the Zionist regime and said the country's stances are source of hope for all those striving for liberation of their country from usurpation and occupation.

Iranian nation and government have always been seeing Syrian government and nation besides itself in various phases of the revolution, said Khatami, adding that today too the path set by the great leaders of the two countries, i.e. Founder of the Islamic Republic and Father of the Islamic Revolution the late Imam Khomeini and former Syrian president the late Hafiz al-Assad, would be trodden by Iranian and Syrian governments and nations.

Saqer, conveying greetings of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to Khatami, said that his countrymen are willing to expand ties with Iran.

He thanked Iran for the stances it has taken in support for Syrians and said the Second International Conference on Palestinian Intifada, held in Tehran from April 24-25, had succeeded in building up self-confidence among Palestinian nation.

He said relations between Iran and Syrian should get more consolidated so that the two countries can continue resisting against the ongoing challenges and pressures.

He added that his country is ready to continue expansion of economic and cultural ties with Iran.

Meanwhile, President Khatami told Jeremy R. Newman, the new ambassador of Australia to Tehran, that Iran is ready to expand cooperation with Australian in all fields.

Khatami receiving Newman's credentials touched on geographical proximity of Australia with Asian states and said Australian culture can serve as a link between the European and Asian civilizations.

He expressed hope that in the Year of Dialogue Among Civilizations there will be more possibility for link between Iranian and Australian cultures and nations.

Newman hailed Iran's religious democracy and Iranian people's high turn out in various elections and said his country welcomes Iran's enhanced presence on the international scene.

He said the idea of dialogue among civilizations, proposed by Khatami, would be a link between unique cultures of Iran and Australia. He stressed expansion of two-way ties in all domains on the bases of mutual respect and equal principles.