Syrian Foreign Minister Visits Tehran

Syria's Foreign Minister Faisal al-Mekdad, with Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian. (SANA)
Syria's Foreign Minister Faisal al-Mekdad, with Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian. (SANA)
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Syrian Foreign Minister Visits Tehran

Syria's Foreign Minister Faisal al-Mekdad, with Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian. (SANA)
Syria's Foreign Minister Faisal al-Mekdad, with Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian. (SANA)

Syria's Foreign Minister Faisal al-Mekdad arrived in Tehran on Sunday for a two-day visit at the invitation of his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amir-Abdollahian.

The visit aims to boost strategic relations between the two countries, according to Syria's al-Watan newspaper.

Deputy Foreign Minister Bashar al-Jaafari is accompanying Mekdad, who is heading an official delegation, on the trip.

The visit comes days after Damascus received an Iranian economic delegation headed by the Iranian Minister of Industry, Mine, and Trade Reza Fatemi Amin.

The delegation met several senior officials in Damascus at the opening of the exhibition of Iranian products and services in the capital.

They also launched the Syrian-Iranian Investment Forum last week, in conjunction with the announcement of a joint bank to facilitate trade and financial exchange between the two countries.

The Syrian-Iranian economic and diplomatic activity witnessed a remarkable increase, with the gradual return of Arab economic-diplomatic relations, especially from the United Arab Emirates.

Last week, Damascus hosted its first Arab economic conference since the outbreak of the Syrian conflict in 2011.

Iran's state-owned IRNA reported that the UAE's National Security Adviser, Tahnoun bin Zayed Al Nahyan, will visit Iran Monday at the invitation of the Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council Ali Shamkhani to discuss expanding bilateral ties.



Rome's Chief Rabbi Criticizes Pope Francis over Israel Remarks

FILE PHOTO: Rabbi Riccardo Di Segni speaks with Pope Francis during an inter-religious prayer for peace at the Colosseum in Rome, Italy, October 25, 2022. REUTERS/Remo Casilli/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Rabbi Riccardo Di Segni speaks with Pope Francis during an inter-religious prayer for peace at the Colosseum in Rome, Italy, October 25, 2022. REUTERS/Remo Casilli/File Photo
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Rome's Chief Rabbi Criticizes Pope Francis over Israel Remarks

FILE PHOTO: Rabbi Riccardo Di Segni speaks with Pope Francis during an inter-religious prayer for peace at the Colosseum in Rome, Italy, October 25, 2022. REUTERS/Remo Casilli/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Rabbi Riccardo Di Segni speaks with Pope Francis during an inter-religious prayer for peace at the Colosseum in Rome, Italy, October 25, 2022. REUTERS/Remo Casilli/File Photo

Rome's chief Jewish rabbi on Thursday sharply criticised Pope Francis over the pontiff's recent ramping up of criticism against Israel's military campaign in Gaza, in an unusually forceful speech during an annual Catholic-Jewish dialogue event.
Francis has unfairly focused his attention on Israel compared to other ongoing world conflicts, including those in Sudan, Yemen, Syria and Ethiopia, said Rabbi Riccardo Di Segni, spiritual leader of Rome's Jewish community since 2001.
"Selective indignation ... weakens the pope's strength," Reuters quoted Di Segni as saying.
"A pope cannot divide the world into children and stepchildren and must denounce the sufferings of all," he said. "This is exactly what the Pope does not do."
Francis, leader of the 1.4-billion-member Roman Catholic Church, has recently been more outspoken about Israel's military campaign against Palestinian militant group Hamas. Last week, he called the humanitarian situation in Gaza "very serious and shameful".
A complex ceasefire accord between Israel and Hamas emerged on Wednesday, and is scheduled to start on Sunday.
Relations between the Catholic Church and Judaism have improved in recent decades, after centuries of animosity. The event on Thursday, held at a Catholic university, was organized to mark the 36th annual World Day of Catholic-Jewish Dialogue.
One of the organizers, Rev. Marco Gnavi, a Catholic priest, expressed surprise at Di Segni's comments.
He said he felt "discomfort" because of the rabbi's words.