Iran can play key role in resolving Syrian crisis: Russian FM

TEHRAN,Sept.30(MNA) -- Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that Iran can play a key role in resolving the Syrian crisis and thus the Islamic Republic should be involved in the process of settling the issue. Lavrov made the remarks during a meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi on the sidelines of the 67th Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Friday. He also underlined the need for the continuation of consultations between Tehran and Russia in order to help find a solution to the Syrian crisis. Salehi and Lavrov called for a Syrian-Syrian solution to peacefully resolve the crisis and expressed support for the mission of Lakhdar Brahimi, the UN-Arab League joint special envoy on Syria. The two foreign ministers also expressed satisfaction over the significant enhancement of bilateral relations between Iran and Russia and highlighted the need for increased cooperation, coordination, and consultation between the two countries in regard to regional and international developments. During the meeting, Iran’s nuclear issue and the decision made by the 5+1 group (the five permanent members of the UN Security Council and Germany) on Thursday to lay the groundwork for another round of negotiations with Iran over its nuclear program were also discussed.