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TEHRAN, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- Iran will continue its unwavering support for Syria in the fight against terrorism, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said here on Tuesday, according to Tasnim news agency.
"The Islamic Republic of Iran will keep assisting Syria in the fight against terrorism and in the establishment of security in the region," Rouhani said at a meeting with the visiting Speaker of the People's Council of Syria Hadiya Khalaf Abbas.
Such a support for Syria is based upon Iran's deeply-held belief that terrorism is a serious threat to the region and the world, he was quoted as saying.
Iran also supports territorial integrity of regional countries, including Syria, and is against any change in the borders across the region, he said.
For her part, the Syrian speaker hailed Iran for backing Syria since the outset of civil crisis in 2011.
The Syrian nation is the only entity entitled to decide the fate of their country, Abbas said, adding that if the big powers want to help the Syrians, they'd better to stem terrorism out the country.
Abbas arrived in Tehran on Monday at the invitation of Iranian Parliament (Mjlis) Speaker Ali Larijani.
Last week, Rouhani rebuffed the U.S. no-fly zone proposal over Syria, saying that only the terrorist groups would benefit from the enforcement of a no-fly zone over the country.
Iran, a major regional ally of the Syrian government in its fight against militant groups, has repeatedly acknowledged the presence of its military advisers in the Arab state.
Reportedly, the five-year conflicts in Syria have claimed the lives of nearly 500,000 people, injured two million, and displaced over 20 million others.
