TEHRAN, July 31 (Xinhua) -- Syrian President Bashar al-Assad will pay a two-day visit to Tehran over the weekend for talks with Iranian officials about the country's nuclear standoff with the West, Iran's English-language satellite channel Press TV reported Thursday.

    During his stay in Tehran, which begins on Saturday, Assad is scheduled to meet with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki as well as several senior Iranian officials.

    Amongst other topics up for discussion are the latest regional and international developments in Tehran-Syria relations, Press TV reported.

    During Mottaki's July 17 visit to Syria, Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Muallem said his country and Iran would continue exchanging ideas over the latter's nuclear issue.

    Syria and Iran would continue the exchange of ideas in the framework that would not impair Iran's right of peaceful use of nuclear energy provided by the Non-Proliferation Treaty, Muallem said.

    Mottaki's visit followed a recent trip of Assad to France where he held talks with French President Nicolas Sarkozy.

    In France, Assad told a press conference that he did not believe Iran was seeking atomic weapons and that Sarkozy had asked him to use his influence to help ease Tehran's nuclear standoff with the West.