Zarif, Lavrov continue talks on Syrian situation

TEHRAN, Oct. 27 (MNA) – In the third phone conversation in the past week, foreign ministers of Iran and Russia conferred on ways to resolve Syrian crisis. The phone conversation took place on Tuesday upon the initiative of the Iranian side, during which the two top diplomats discussed ways to settle the Syrian crisis with a focus on the need for collective efforts of all key regional countries to begin the process of political resolution to Syrian issues. This is the third phone conversation in the past week between Iran and Russia’s foreign ministers during which the Syrian crisis and its possible political solutions have been discussed. Russia insists on having Iran’s participation in settling the Syrian situation and the fight against the terrorist groups in the war-torn country, but Saudi Arabia has opposed this. On Tuesday, Lavrov expressed his discontent with the opposition to the participation of Iran and other regional countries in negotiations on Syria, saying the current small negotiating group (consisting Russia, US, Saudi Arabia and Turkey) does not have the necessary power to politically resolve the crisis in Syria. In a joint press conference with Belarusian Foreign Minister Vladimir Makei in Moscow, Lavrov expressed hope that Iran and other countries in the region would take part in the second round of Vienna talks on Syria which is due to be held next Thursday. Top diplomats from the United States, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Jordan opened talks in the Austrian capital on October 23 on the conflict in Syria. Several US officials said Tuesday that Iran has been invited to participate for the first time in international talks over Syria's future.