UN Cautions Effect Of Syria Conflict On Neighbors

New York, Oct 20, IRNA -- UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon warned here on Friday about the effect of the Syrian civil war on the neighboring states, including Lebanon. 'I am deeply concerned by the impact of the Syrian crisis on Lebanon,' Ban Ki-moon said in a report on Thursday. 'Largely as a result of the deteriorating situation in Syria, Lebanon has witnessed cross-border clashes and shelling,' he added. Iran is doing its best to help the resolution of the Syrian crisis. Senior Advisor to the Iranian Parliament Speaker Hossein Sheikholeslam said on Thursday that despite some problems, civil war in Syria is close to a ceasefire, , adding that most of the Syrian opposition groups have accepted Iran's proposal for a truce. 'Most of the opposition groups have accepted Iran's proposal to establish a truce between the opposition groups and government during Muslim feast of Eid al Adha next week,' he said. The high-ranking official noted that fortunately, UN-Arab League Joint Special Envoy on Syria Lakhdar Brahimi, Syrian parliament and government as well as Turkey's Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan have also welcomed Iran's proposal for ceasefire. 'Iran hopes the truce becomes an introduction to a permanent truce in Syria; there is no military solution to the Syrian crisis and all sides should do their best to find a rational solution for the crisis; since the ceasefire will not provide the interests of some regional and international partners. Making the truce in this volatile region is not an easy task to accomplish.' Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani's advisor underlined that unfortunately some powers are sacrificing the Syrian nation in order to weaken the resistance movement and secure the interests and security of the occupying Zionist regime. 'All sides of the Syrian conflict should be vigilant about enemy plots aimed at provoking civil war in Syria,' he added. In relevant remarks earlier this week, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Arab and African Affairs Hossein Amir Abdollahian told Iranian media that the written proposal informally offered by Iran to the UN envoy for the settlement of the current crisis in Syria (Brahimi) calls for an end to violence, establishment of truce, and an immediate start of national dialogue among all Syrian groups and people. He added that the proposal stems in the quadrilateral talks among the Contact Group on Syria which was established at the initiative of Egyptian President Mohammad Mursi in August. The high-ranking official noted that the proposal was submitted by Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi to the representatives of Syria, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Egypt as well as UN-Arab League Special Envoy on Syria Lakhdar Brahimi at a meeting in New York in September. Abdollahian said the plan seeks a political solution to the Syrian crisis, and noted, 'According to the plan, the first and urgent step is the secession of hostilities and establishment of truce followed by the start of national dialogue among representatives of the Syrian nation, that part of the opposition who are truly representing people's views and representatives of the Syrian government.' 'According to these talks, effort should be made to hold elections and form a transitional government which will assist with the holding of the elections,' he said, adding that the last stage will be a presidential election in due time. Lakhdar Brahimi has recently appreciated Tehran's written proposal for the settlement of the Syrian crisis, and said Iran's viewpoints can solve the problems in the Arab country properly. 'Highly good viewpoints have been raised in this proposal, which can solve the Syrian issue,' Brahimi said at a joint press conference with the Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi in Tehran on Sunday night. Syria has been experiencing unrest since March 2011 with organized attacks by well-armed gangs against Syrian police forces and border guards being reported across the country. Hundreds of people, including members of the security forces, have been killed, when some protest rallies turned into armed clashes. The government blames outlaws, saboteurs, and armed terrorist groups for the deaths, stressing that the unrest is being orchestrated from abroad. In October 2011, calm was eventually restored in the Arab state after President Bashar Assad started a reform initiative in the country, but Israel, the US and its Arab allies are seeking hard to bring the country into chaos through any possible means. Tel Aviv, Washington and some Arab capitals have been staging various plots in the hope of increasing unrest in Syria./end