Minister of Defense Hassan Ali Turkmani of Syria

Meanwhile:Iran, Syria Consolidate Defense Ties Monday 26 May 2008 TEHRAN (FNA)- Syrian Defense Minister General Hassan Turkmani has arrived in Tehran for talks on defense agreements between the two close allies.

In a joint press conference after the June talks, Iranian Defense Minister Mostafa Mohammad Najjar and visiting Syrian counterpart Hassan Turkmani said their talks had been aimed at consolidating their defense efforts and strengthening support for one another.

LONDON, May 25 (IranMania) - Syrian Defense Minister Hassan Ali Turkmani has arrived in the Iranian capital to follow up talks on bilateral defense agreements, PressTV reported.

Syrian Defense Minister Hassan Ali Turkmani has arrived in the Iranian capital to follow up talks on bilateral defense agreements.

Turkmani expressed hope for new prospects for defense cooperation between Tehran and Damascus, stressing that bilateral cooperation would play a crucial role in promoting the stability and security of the two countries and the whole region.

This is the second time in the past two years that Turkmani has been invited to Iran.

Najjar and Turkmani had a meeting on Sunday which came a day after Syria rejected Israel's precondition to cut off relations with Tehran in return for a peace deal.

Earlier on Tuesday, in a meeting with Major General Yahya Rahim Safavi, the top military advisor to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Turkmani said Tehran and Damascus share "common views" on regional issues.

Last week, Iranian Defense Minister Hassan Ali Turkmani said his country would "use nuclear defense" if "threatened by any power" and that Iran "should be ready for confronting all kinds of threats.