Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi on Wednesday lauded Syria's victory in emerging from a 12-year war during his meeting with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in the Syrian capital of Damascus.

Syria's 'victory' in emerging from civil war hailed

"Syria's government and people have gone through tremendous hardships, and today we can say that you have weathered and overcame all these problems and achieved victory despite the threats and sanctions imposed against you," Raisi told his Syrian counterpart Bashar al-Assad at the al-Sha'ab presidential palace in Damascus as the Iranian leader has embarked on a landmark visit to Syria, the first for an Iranian president during the 12-year Syrian war.

For his part, Assad said that the Syrian-Iranian relations are "rich in content, rich in experience and insights," and have remained stable and firm against severe political and security storms in the region.

Assad and Raisi signed memoranda of understanding on "long-term strategic cooperation," covering fields including oil, aviation, railways and agriculture, SANA said.

Iranian government spokesperson Ali Bahadori Jahromi said Tuesday that "both countries are ready for the highest level of cooperation".

"The purpose of this trip is economic," he said, adding that the two countries could also "cooperate" on Syria's reconstruction.

Middle East rapprochement hoped to continue

Before Raisi, the last Iranian president to visit Damascus was Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in September 2010. Assad has officially visited Tehran twice since the war broke out, the last time in May 2022.

Raisi's two-day visit comes just weeks after Iran's landmark, China-brokered agreement to restore ties with regional rival Saudi Arabia, which has sparked a flurry of diplomacy in the Middle East. Arab nations which had isolated Syria over its crackdown against protests in 2011 are developing a roadmap to end the 12-year war and reintegrate Syria into the Arab fold.

Assad is hoping full normalization of ties with wealthy Gulf monarchies and other Arab states will also help finance reconstruction.

In April, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan made the first visit to Damascus by a Saudi official since the start of the Syrian war.

Damascus-based analyst Osama Danura told AFP that he also expected Syria-Turkey relations to be discussed.

Tehran has been part of four-way talks with Damascus, Moscow and Ankara seeking to repair Syria-Turkey ties, which were severed at the start of the conflict.

(With input from agencies)