Iranian PM Hossein-Ali Haji-Deligani criticized on Friday his country’s “meager” share in the rebuilding of war-torn Syria in spite of Tehran and Damascus signing agreements on expanding cooperation between them.
He said: “Despite the support accorded to the Syrian government and people during the war, we have received a meager share in the reconstruction.”
Several countries are competing to be part of post-war Syria’s economic future, reported Iran’s Fars news agency, highlighting the criticism by Iranian experts and MPs that Tehran’s role in the process has been “weak”.
Deligani remarked: “The countries that were the main cause of the Syrian war, now have the initiative in rebuilding the country.”
“Western countries and their regional agents who backed ISIS are today reaping the lion’s share of Syria’s reconstruction,” he added.
“We have so far not done enough in playing a central role in Syria’s reconstruction,” stressed the MP.
He made his statements a week after Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian paid a visit to Damascus where he urged the Syrian government to implement bilateral agreements between their countries that were inked when Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi visited back in May.
Raisi’s two-day visit was the first by an Iranian president since the eruption of the war in 2011.
During his trip, officials signed long-term strategic cooperation covering numerous fields, such as railways, civil aviation, oil and free trade. They formed eight specialized committees in investment, trade, industry, oil and agriculture.
