Iran-Russia Voice Support For Peaceful Resolution Of Syrian Crisis

Moscow, Feb 28, IRNA – Iranian Ambassador to Moscow Seyed Mahmoud-Reza Sajjadi and Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Middle East Affairs Mikhail Bogdanov stressed the peaceful resolution of Syrian political crisis during a meeting on Monday. The two officials discussed the latest regional and international developments in Middle East and North Africa including the Syrian political and social unrests. The nearly 11-month-old US lead unrest in Syria, Damascus have been relatively quieted. Syria has been experiencing unrest since mid-March 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, calm was eventually restored in the Arab state after President Bashar al-Assad started a reform initiative in the country, but the US and Zionist regime plots could spark some new unrest in certain parts of the country. Deputy IRI Foreign Minister in Arab and African Countries Affairs Hossein Amir-Abdollahian here Monday congratulated Syrian government and great nation for successful holding of their referendum for a new constitution. The Iranian deputy foreign minister added, “We are sure that President Assad and the intelligent Syrian nation would pursue their path in line with the reforms and countering the foreign interference in their internal affairs. Syria's state news agency, reported on Monday that 89.4 percent of Syrian voters approved the new constitution in yesterday's referendum. Naharnet, a Lebanese news-wire, quoted Syria's interior minister as saying 57.4 percent of eligible voters cast ballots in yesterday's referendum./end