Assad, Ahmadinejad: Israel’s Actions Prove It Doesn’t Want Peace

02/10/2010 Syrian President Bachar Assad and his Iranian counterpart Mahmoud Ahmadinejad stressed on Saturday that Israel's actions in the West Bank, Gaza and occupied Jerusalem proved the Zionist entity did not truly want peace.

Assad met with Ahmadinejad during a one-day visit to Iran on Saturday. He was greeted by a guard of honor before holding talks with Ahmadinejad behind closed doors to discuss bilateral and regional issues, including Lebanon, Iraq and Palestine, ISNA reported.

Assad is due to hold talks with leader of Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei and other senior officials. The Syrian president is accompanied by Vice President Faruq al-Shara and Foreign Minister Walid Moallem.

"The strengthening of the anti-Israel resistance movement will encourage other countries to join this bloc which then would eventually lead towards stabilizing regional peace," Ahmadinejad reportedly said during talks with Assad.

The Syrian President also said the momentum of Tehran-Damascus ties could strengthen resistance groups against Israel.

Assad was quoted as saying that direct Israeli-Palestinian peace talks were only aimed at bolstering support for the US president inside the United States. "Nothing has changed in the Palestinian peace process which only aims to garner support for Obama inside America," he said.

Both Assad and Ahmadinejad stressed that expansion of ties between Iran and Syria and political domination by the two states would not only benefit the region politically but also economically.

The official news agency IRNA reported earlier Saturday that the summit talks between Assad and Ahmadinejad were expected to focus mainly on Iraq, Lebanon and Syria's stance on the latest peace talks between the Palestinians and Israel. IRNA also reported that Assad was to be awarded Iran's national medal for his bravery, resistance and support for the Hamas and Hezbollah resistance groups.

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