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Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on Wednesday received Armenian Minister of Foreign Affairs Edward Nalbandian and the accompanying delegation, SANA reports.

During the meeting, the two sides stressed the importance of the deep-rooted historical relations between Syria and Armenia which are based on a mutual cultural and civilized heritage, with the two sides asserting the need to enhance these relations continuously to realize the interests of the two countries and the region.

President al-Assad lauded Armenia’s position regarding the crisis in Syria, saying that Armenia can play a vital role at this critical juncture in the region by relaying to Western countries the truth about what is happening in the Middle East in terms of the spread of Takfiri terrorist forces which are receiving military, financial, and intellectual support from Western sides and regional sides subservient to them.

The President also underlined the important of combating terrorism effectively instead of just announcing intention to fight terrorism while supporting it covertly.

President al-Assad noted that the suffering that the Armenian people experienced throughout their history is being experienced today by the Syrian people at the hands of the same murderous and terrorist sides, but now they are using different method and have different goals.

For his part, Nalbandian condemned the crimes committed by terrorists against Syrians, saying that the threat posed by the terrorism targeting Syria and its regional role has become a threat to many states in the region and the world due to Syria being an example for coexistence and harmony among its components.

The Minister said that this threat requires unified and serious efforts to combat terrorism and provide suitable conditions to resolve the Syrian crisis via a process that allows the Syrians themselves to decide their country’s future.

The two sides were also in agreement regarding the dangerous role played by Turkish leaderships currently, a role which brought back the suffering that the region’s people experienced during the reign of the Ottoman Empire in the past.

They stressed the need for the international community to act to coerce Turkey to cease its destructive actions, as these actions not only affect the Syrian people, but will have a negative impact on all the people of the region, including the Turkish people themselves.

The meeting was attended by Deputy Prime Minister, Foreign and Expatriates Minister Walid al-Moallem, Presidential Political and Media Advisor Bouthaina Shaaban, Deputy Foreign and Expatriates Minister Fayssal Mikdad, Assistant Foreign and Expatriates Minister Ayman Sousan, and head of the Europe department at the Foreign and Expatriates Ministry Najwa al-Rifaie.