Iranian First Vice-President Parviz Davoudi on Friday wrapped up a three-day visit to Syria aimed at boosting bilateral economic ties amid mounting international pressure.

The two sides signed preferential trade agreements and several accords on finance, industry, power, textile, oil, environment and culture, Syrian Prime Minister Mohammed Naji Ottri announced on Thursday at a joint press conference with Davoudi at the end of meetings of the Syrian-Iranian Higher Joint Committee, which started on Wednesday.

Ottri hailed the meetings as a "qualitative development" in bilateral cooperation and a "basic step" to widen its future horizons.

For his part, Davoudi said the two countries desire to put these newly-signed agreements into effect as soon as possible.

The two countries are also planning to build some strategic projects mainly in fields of gas, oil, railway and air transportation and energy, said Davoudi.

Meanwhile, Iran and Syria coordinated and adopted common stances on regional issues and expressed rejection of foreign interference in the Middle East.

"The two countries' viewpoints are identical over issues and developments in the region and we stress the necessity of rejecting foreign interference in this region's affairs," Davoudi said.

Iran and Syria have maintained close ties since the Iran-Iraq war in 1980-1988, during which Syria sided with Tehran against Iraq under former Saddam Hussein's regime.

Iranian businessmen are now involved in various projects in Syria, such as construction of bridges and roads, expansion of ports and power plants as well as development of petrochemical industry.

Bilateral trade volume, with investment and industrial projects included, reached 210 million U.S. dollars in 2005, according to Syria's official al-Thawra newspaper.

Bilateral economic cooperation has been valued at some 750 million dollars, including exports of technical and engineering services as well as implemented or underway industrial projects taken by Iranian firms in Syria, according to Iran's official IRNA news agency.

Damascus and Tehran, however, are both under economic sanctions imposed by Washington for allegedly sponsoring terrorism.

Damascus is facing international pressure over Syria's alleged implication in the killing of former Lebanese prime minister Rafik Hariri, while Tehran is struggling with its controversial nuclear program.

The two sides voiced support for each other in dealing with international pressures.

In opening speeches of the higher committee meetings, Ottri reiterated Damascus' support for Iran's right to peaceful nuclear technology while Davoudi backed Syria's principled position in face of pressure and threats.

"Syria refuses campaigns directed against Iran by some leverage forces that ignore the nuclear arsenal of Israel which constitutes a genuine danger and a potent threat to regional security," Ottri said.

The United States accuses Iran of seeking nuclear weapons, but Tehran insists that its nuclear program was aimed at generating electricity.

Syria was forced to withdraw its troops and intelligence agents from Lebanon in April 2005, ending a 29-year military presence in its small neighbor, after the assassination of Hariri in February 2005 sparked massive anti-Syrian protests in Lebanon and mounting international pressure.

Syria denies any role in Hariri's murder but a U.N. probe implicated some Syrian officials in the killing and the U.N. Security Council adopted a resolution demanding Syria's full cooperation; otherwise, it will face further actions.

Syria and Iran have exchanged several high-ranking visits since Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad took office last August.

In a meeting with Davoudi on Thursday, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said strategic relations between Iran and Syria were " very promising and extensive", adding that Syria seeks further expansion of all-out ties with Iran, according to the IRNA.

Source: Xinhua