Iran Calls on Thrid Parties to Avoid Meddling in Tehran-Ankara Ties
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif voiced Tehran's strong opposition to third countries' interference in relations between Iran and Turkey.
Speaking at a joint press conference with his Turkish counterpart Ahmet Davutoglu in Istanbul on Saturday, Zarif said relations between Iran and Turkey are witnessing a "growing trend."
"It is necessary that third parties avoid interfering in relations between the two neighboring countries of Iran and Turkey in a bid to keep up the growing trend of the relations," Zarif said, adding that good Tehran-Ankara relations are in the interests of the two countries' people and peace and stability in the region.
As regards developments in Syria and Iran and Turkey's stance regarding the Syrian crisis, Zarif said the two sides are working to resolve their differences over Syria, stressing that any solution to the prolonged crisis should be "diplomatic and peaceful."
“Other countries should help the people of Syria reach a consensus and end the violence in Syria,” Zarif said in the joint press conference.
Davutoglu, too, for his part called for a ceasefire in Syria and expressed the hope that the long-awaited Geneva 2 Conference on Syria would bring peace to the war-torn country.
The UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon announced on November 25 that the much delayed Geneva 2 Conference on Syria will be held on January 22, 2014.
The conference would bring representatives from Syria's government and elements of the opposition to negotiate an end to the fighting that has raged on since March 2011.
Geneva 2 is the second sequel of Geneva 1 conference held in June 2012 in which international parties laid out a peace plan for Syria that calls for a transitional governing body. It left open the question of whether Syrian President Bashar al-Assad must leave power.
The final communiqué issued on 30 June 2012, following the meeting of the so-called Action Group for Syria called for an immediate cessation of violence and the establishment of a transitional government that could include officials serving under President Bashar al-Assad and members of the opposition.
According to UN-Arab League Special Representative for Syria Lakhdar Brahimi, about 30 countries, including Saudi Arabia, Algeria, Brazil, Egypt, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, would be invited to the day-long conference on January 22 in the Swiss city of Montreux.
Iran has said it will continue its support for the political solution to the Syrian crisis regardless of the country’s participation or its absence in the upcoming peace conference on Syria in Geneva.
Hossein Amir Abdollahian, deputy foreign minister for Arab and African affairs, said earlier this week that Iran supports political solution to the Syrian crisis and whatever that may serve the interests of the Syrian nation.
