[caption id="attachment_29634" align="alignright" width="300"] Officials and representatives from over 30 countries pose for a photo during a day-long international consultative meeting on Syria, Tehran, August, 2012.[/caption]
Iran’s Permanent Mission to the UN says the international community welcomes the upcoming Friends of Syria meeting due in the Iranian capital, Tehran, which shows the global willingness to peacefully resolve the crisis in Syria.
“The interest shown by a considerable number of countries and international organizations to attend the [Tehran] meeting shows the growing international resolve to peacefully settle the crisis [in Syria] and the Islamic Republic of Iran’s increasing role in the peaceful approach,” the mission said in a statement on Thursday.
Tehran plans to host the Friends of Syria Conference under the banner of “Political Solution, Regional Stability” on May 29.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran believes that the upcoming meeting in Tehran can boost consultations and coordination among the real friends of Syria in order to help the [Arab] country overcome the ongoing crisis, and we hope that the conference will succeed in finding a practical solution to the Syrian issue,” the mission said.
The mission added that Iran has always made efforts to play a leading role in settling the crisis in Syria through peaceful means, and as an influential country in the region, the Islamic Republic has so far presented viable plans in this regard.
Syria has been experiencing unrest since March 2011, and many people, including large numbers of Syrian soldiers and security forces, have been killed in the turmoil.
Tehran held two meetings on Syria and has been an active member of a contact group, proposed by Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi in 2012, comprising Iran, Egypt, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia, it noted.
Iran hosted a two-day meeting attended by the representatives of the Syrian government and opposition groups in November 2012, with the participants unanimously opposing foreign interference and calling for a peaceful settlement of the conflict in the Arab country.
High-ranking officials from different countries including Russia, China, Iraq, Egypt, etc. participated in the meeting with the main theme of “No to Violence, Yes to Democracy.”
A day-long international consultative meeting on Syria was also held in Tehran, where the participants underlined the need for the resolution of the unrest in the Arab country based on international regulations, non-interference and respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of countries.
The statement by the Iranian mission further said that Iran has criticized measures by the countries that interfere in Syria’s internal affairs and support the extremists in the Arab country.
It noted that, instead of transferring weapons to Syria, Iran dispatches food, medicine and fuel to the Arab country to improve the living conditions in the crisis-stricken country.
Iran has repeatedly voiced its opposition to any foreign interference in Syria's internal affairs, calling for inclusive dialog and national reconciliation as well as free elections as the keys to the settlement of the crisis in the country.
The Syrian government says that the chaos is being orchestrated from outside the country, and there are reports that a very large number of the militants are foreign nationals.
Damascus says the West and its regional allies, such as Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey, are supporting the militants.
By Press TV
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