Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his visiting Iranian counterpart Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Thursday reasserted their close ranks over regional and international issues amid mounting international pressures on both countries.

The two leaders held two meetings on Thursday, one to sign several economic and political agreements and the other, a closed- door meeting to discuss regional and international issues of common concern, an Iranian diplomat told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.

After the talks, Assad and Ahmadinejad held a joint press conference, stating "common positions" on various issues.

On Iran's disputed nuclear program, Assad pledged support for Tehran's pursuit of peaceful nuclear technology and rejected pressure on Tehran.

"We back the idea of a dialogue with international parties. We also reject the pressure being exerted on this country" over its nuclear program, Assad said.

"Countries who oppose this gave no convincing reason, regardless of whether it is legitimate or not."

Assad also renewed Syria's call for a Middle East free of nuclear weapons and said "the beginning should be with Israel," which is widely believed to have nuclear weapons.

Iran dropped again in the hot water after it began nuclear research earlier this month, as the United States, Britain, France and Germany have threatened to refer Tehran to the UN Security Council.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the UN nuclear watchdog, will hold an emergency meeting in early February on Iran 's nuclear dispute upon calls by the European nuclear negotiators, it was reported.

On Lebanon, Assad said both Damascus and Tehran wanted stability there, but stressed "the need to support the resistance" to Israel, in a clear reference to the radical Lebanese Shiite movement Hezbollah.

Ahmadinejad also showed his support to the stability, calmness and resistance in Lebanon, calling on all Lebanese political factions to weather through the crisis with patience and courage.

"Any tense and turbulence would in the end benefit Lebanon's enemy," the Iranian president added.

Lebanon was plunged into a political disturbance after former premier Rafik Hariri was assassinated in a massive truck bomb last February, which was largely blamed on Syria.

The subsequent mounting international pressure on Syria forced it to end its 29 years of military presence in Lebanon.

Damascus, which denied any role in the killing, was requested to cooperate fully with a UN investigation commission.

As for the Iraqi issue, the two leaders also showed a common stand, opposing any foreign intervention in Iraq's internal affairs.

"We support Iraq's independence and unification. Foreign occupation forces will not have any excuse to stay in Iraq when there is a stable Iraqi government," Ahmadinejad said, urging the "occupiers" to draw up a pull-out timetable.

Meanwhile, Assad and Ahmadinejad supported the resistance against Israel and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.

Ahmadinejad, the radical Shiite leader, stressed that " resistance is the only way to force the enemy to admit the legitimate rights of the Palestinians."

Ahmadinejad started a two-day official visit to Syria on Thursday in a bid to strengthen political and economic relations to ward off mounting international pressures.

Syria and Iran, both on the U.S. blacklist of state sponsors of terrorism, are also accused by Washington of taking insufficient actions to prevent armed opponents of the U.S.-led coalition from crossing into Iraq.

In addition, the two countries back Hezbollah, a radical Shiite militia movement branded by Washington as a terrorist group.

Washington also backs disarming the group under U.N. Security Council Resolution 1559.

Both countries are now entangled in their foreign affairs as Damascus was troubled by the Hariri probe and Iran, the nuclear program.

It was Ahmadinejad's first bilateral visit to Damascus since he took office last August, shortly after which Assad visited Tehran.

"The visit comes in a very sensitive and complicated situation, because the two sides are both facing massive international pressures," an Iranian official said, adding that the visit " highlighted the important strategic ties between the two countries. "

Close ties between Iran and Syria can be dated back to the Iran- Iraq war during 1980-1988, when Syria sided with Tehran against Iraq which was then ruled by Saddam Hussein.

The two countries also witnessed gradually improved economic cooperation and bilateral trade volume reached 210 million U.S. dollars in 2005, according to Syria's official al-Thawra newspaper.

Source: Xinhua