TEHRAN – Syrian Minister of Local Administration and Environment Hussein Makhlouf requested Iran to enhance joint environmental cooperation, Mehr reported.Makhlouf, together with the Syrian ambassador to Tehran Shafiq Dayoub, and his accompanying delegation, met with Alireza Zakani, Mayor of Tehran on Thursday.The most important issue and challenge of Syria is the problem of collecting waste and producing energy, he stated, calling on Iranian companies to cooperate and invest in this direction.One of the common features of Iran and Syria is having ancient cities, he said, adding, that the old cities should be protected and along with this urban protection, technology should also be used.The city of Damascus is one of the oldest cities in West Asia (Middle East), and its old texture must be protected; In the plans made, the development of green space is a priority, he said.“We believe that our experiences and assets in Tehran should be presented to the Syrian nation so that they can use all the available capacity and speed up the construction of their country,” Zakani highlighted.In order to solve the problems and create more safety and conditions to have a more beautiful and safer Tehran, we are rebuilding the capital on the axis of public transportation, he noted.Reconstruction centered on public transportation will help us to overcome the problem of traffic and air pollution and continue to maintain our Iranian-Islamic identity, he further said.Emphasizing the need to increase the connection between Tehran and Damascus since the sister city partnership, he suggested exchanging experiences with Syria in the field of health, metro, smart transportation, and providing optimal services.Regional diplomacy for a better environmentPresident Ebrahim Raisi emphasized that the preservation of the environment is essential and an inevitable priority, at the conference of environment ministers and officials on July 12.“Conservation of the ecosystem and environment, which is a global concern, especially for countries of the region, is an inevitable priority today.

If the environment is not safe and peaceful for people, the development will not be in its proper place and it will even become a threat to human health,” Raisi stated.“Iran is one of the leading countries taking steps toward environmental restoration as a requirement for social development, and environmental destruction, which is a result of social and political inequalities and improper use of nature and is an important factor in the violation of human rights.The current world is facing many environmental problems beyond geographical and political borders, and the West Asian region is facing severe sand and dust storms. Undoubtedly, the reduction of food and biological security, pollution, and excessive extraction of resources has led to the reduction of public health, and a negative impact on health and the economy,” he lamented.Plans should be developed for the management and exploitation of water, air, soil, and waste management, he suggested, announcing readiness to share experiences and knowledge with neighboring countries to reduce pollution.A union or an organization for environmental cooperation of West Asian countries should be formed to organize the required measures.

Also, the establishment of a regional fund for financial support is necessary to achieve the goals of the UN resolutions, he highlighted.FB/