Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has called for the presence of Iran in the forthcoming internationally brokered peace talks aimed at achieving a political solution to the crisis in Syria.Speaking at a joint press conference with US Secretary of State John Kerry in Paris on Monday, Lavrov said there is an "absolutely apparent need" for the participation of Iran in the Geneva II conference.
On Monday, Irans Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said in a joint press conference with Lebanese Foreign Minister Adnan Mansour in Beirut that Tehran is ready to attend the upcoming international talks onSyria's unrest,if it is invited without any preconditions.
Foreign powers should not set preconditions for anyone to take part in the meeting, said the top Iranian diplomat, adding that foreigners had better let the Syrian people administrate their countrys affairs.
On January 9, Russian President Vladimir Putin stressed that Iran should be invited to the upcoming Syria talks, rejecting preconditions for Irans involvement in the event as unconstructive.
On November 25, 2013, the United Nation set January 22 as the date for the Syria peace conference. The event is scheduled to be held in Switzerland in two parts. On January 22, the opening session of the event will be in the Swiss city of Montreux and then it will be moved to the UN office in Geneva on January 24.
Syria has been gripped by deadly crisis since 2011. According to reports, the Western powers and their regional allies -- especially Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey -- are supporting the militants operating inside the country.
According to the United Nations, more than 100,000 people have been killed and millions displaced due to the turmoil that has gripped Syria for over two years.
By Press TV
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