Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad delegated on Wednesday the authorities concerned to put the law on free trade between Syria and Iran in place, whereby a free trade zone between the two countries is set up for five extendable years.

The law on free trade between Tehran and Syria was ratified by the Iranian Shura Council and the Guardian (Khobaraa) Council.

In a related context, Syrian Minister of Higher Education Abdul-Razzaq Sheikh Issa on Wednesday said that Syria and Iran have gone a long way in cooperation in various areas particularly on the level of higher education and scientific research.

The Minister's remarks came during his meeting with rector of al-Mustafa International University in Iran Sayyid Ayatullah Ali Reza Aarafi and the accompanying delegation.

Both sides discussed prospects of scientific cooperation between Syria and Iran and the possibility of establishing a branch of al-Mustafa University in Syria, given the high academic level enjoyed by the Iranian universities in a number of scientific and social specializations.

Sheikh Issa expressed the Ministry's full readiness to study any request for licensing private universities and entering new specializations that are unavailable to help contribute to social development and scientific progress within its vision of balanced development in the areas most in need and to boost logical and realistic thinking and moderate vision.

For his part, al-Mustafa University's rector presented an preview of the university and its activities in the educational and human field s as well as its scientific programs and projects carried out in a number of countries around the world.

He highlighted the University's moderate vision and its focus on the mental and Islamic philosophical sides and comparative researches among religions.

Al-Mustafa International University is a non-government university based in the Iranian city of Qom and has branches inside and outside Iran. It includes 100 specilizations and majors on the level of masters and Ph.Ds in the fields of Islamic sciences, jurisprudence, religions, languages and social and human sciences.