国际英语新闻：Syrian president in Tehran for nuclear talks

TEHRAN, Aug. 2 (Xinhua) -- Syrian President Bashar al-Assad started his two-day visit here on Saturday for nuclear talks with Iranian leaders, local satellite Press TV reported.

    Assad arrived in Tehran with a high ranking delegation including his Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad (L) speaks with his Iranian counterpart Mahmoud Ahmadinejad during an official meeting in Tehran August 2, 2008.

According to the report, the Syrian president is scheduled to talk with his Iranian counterpart President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and other high ranking officials on nuclear issue as well as regional and international issues.

    During his stay, the Syrian leader is scheduled to meet with Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei as well.

    Assad's visit to Tehran followed his trip to Paris where French President Nicolas Sarkozy asked Syria to "persuade Iran" to show proof that it is not seeking nuclear weapons.

    It is Assad's third visit to Tehran since the election of Iranian President Ahmadinejad in 2005. His last visit dates back to February 2007.

    The five permanent member states of the UN Security Council plus Germany, has offered Iran a tempting package of incentives ifit freezes uranium enrichment.

    However, the United States has given a weekend deadline for Tehran to answer an international offer to freeze its nuclear activity and has threatened of new sanctions if Iran rejects the package.

    On July 17, Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki visitedSyria, during which his Syrian counterpart Walid al-Muallem said his country and Iran would continue exchanging ideas over the latter's nuclear issue.

    Syria and Iran would continue the exchange of ideas in the framework that would not impair Iran's right of peaceful use of nuclear energy provided by the Non-Proliferation Treaty, Muallem said.

    Mottaki's visit followed a recent trip of Assad to France where Assad told a press conference that he did not believe Iran was seeking atomic weapons and that Sarkozy had asked him to use his influence to help ease Tehran's nuclear standoff with the West.