Tehran Confab Stresses Need For Settlement Of Syria Crisis

Tehran, Aug 11, IRNA – Countries participating in the Tehran consultative meeting on Syria stressed the need for settlement of crisis there. In a statement issued at the end of the one-day meeting Thursday night, the participants said any solution to the crisis should be based on respecting international laws, lack of interference in countries’ internal affairs and respecting Syria’s national sovereignty and territorial integrity. It said the consultative meeting in Tehran on Syria held on August 9, 2012 met to pave the ground for dialogue among countries in a peaceful atmosphere and consolidating regional and international all-out efforts to help the Syrian people out of the sustaining crisis in the country. The statement also expressed grave concern over the continuation of clashes and human rights violations in Syria which has caused massive destruction in the country and deep problems for the nation. It also voiced sympathy with the families of the victims of the armed clashes and terrorist actions The statement further stressed the need to work out political solutions based on national dialogue as the sole way to settle the crisis in Syria and putting a final end to violence there by encouraging warring sides to prepare the ground for a national dialogue. It also supported Syrian nation’s legitimate demands for reforms to establish democracy and promote all-out political participation of all parties and opposing groups in line with the right they have in contributing in running the country’s affairs in a peaceful atmosphere far from any kind of interferences. The statement also focused on such issues as supporting any kind of initiatives based on goodwill to end Syria’s crisis, need for observing international laws and need for dispatching relief aids to Syria. The consultative meeting on Syria was held by the Islamic Republic of Iran under the presidency of Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi. Representatives from Belarus, Mauritania, Indonesia, Kyrgyzstan, Georgia, Turkmenistan, Benin, Sri Lanka, Ecuador, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Algeria, Iraq, Zimbabwe, Oman, Venezuela, Tajikistan, India, Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Armenia, Nicaragua, Cuba, Sudan, Jordan, Tunisia and Palestine attended the meeting. Three foreign ministers, two acting ministers, seven deputy ministers, 15 ambassadors and representative of the United Nations in Tehran attended the meeting. At the end of the meeting participants expressed gratitude for the Islamic Republic of Iran for holding the meeting and stressed that continuation of such an initiative will lead to establishment of peace and security in the region./end