IRNA � Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, heading a political delegation, left Tehran for Ankara on Tuesday.

In the first leg of his tour of the region, Foreign Minister Zarif will accompany Iranian President Hassan Rouhani during his visit to Turkey, Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qasemi said on Monday.

Rouhani is scheduled to attend a trilateral meeting on Syria to be attended by foreign ministers of Iran, Turkey and Russia.

The Iranian foreign minister and his counterparts from Turkey and Russia will discuss Syria's developments and the Astana peace process in Ankara.

Zarif will also depart for the Azerbaijani capital, Baku,to attend the Mid-Term Ministerial Conference of the Non- Aligned Movement (NAM) to be held on 5-6 April.

He will leave Baku for Nakhchivan on Friday afternoon upon an official invitation of the autonomous region's top officials.