Iran To Positively Consider Attending Next Syria Confab If Asked To

Tehran, May 22, IRNA – Iran will positively consider participating in the Geneva-2 conference on Syrian crisis if it was asked to, Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Araqchi said Tuesday. Speaking at his weekly press conference, Araqchi said Tehran has always believed that there would be no resolution possible to the Syrian crisis but conducting talks between Syrian government and opposition groups. The spokesman made the remarks commenting on protest of certain countries to Iranˈs presence in the next conference on Syria which is to be held in June. ˈHolding the Geneva conference will prove the ideas, strategies and proposals made by Iran regarding the Syrian issue,ˈ Araqchi said. He expressed satisfaction that the international community had finally realized that the Syrian crisis should be resolved through negotiations. If the international community had paid due attention to Iranˈs recommendations on Syria sooner, it could have prevented most of the bloodshed and hardships in that country, complained the spokesman. ˈHowever, Iran will welcome any initiatives including the Geneva-2 conference,ˈ which would help resolve the Syrian crisis through negotiations. Araqchi stressed that no idea should be imposed on the Syrian people. ˈWe expect the Geneva-2 conference to reach a conclusion that would be acceptable to the Syrian nation,ˈ noted the spokesman./end