Iranian, Russian Diplomats Discuss Syrian Crisis
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Arab and African Affairs Hossein Jaberi Ansari and the Russian president’s special envoy to the Middle East, Mikhail Bogdanov, exchanged views about the latest developments in crisis-hit Syria.
In a telephone conversation on Thursday, Jaberi Ansari and Bogdanov discussed international efforts aimed at resumption of Syria’s national dialogue.
The two high-ranking diplomats also held talks on ways to resolve the five-year old conflict in the Arab country through political means.
Syria has been gripped by civil war since March 2011 with various terrorist groups, including Daesh (also known as ISIS or ISIL), currently controlling parts of it.
According to a report by the Syrian Center for Policy Research, the conflict has claimed the lives of over 470,000 people, injured 1.9 million others, and displaced nearly half of the country’s pre-war population of about 23 million within or beyond its borders.
In the meantime, Iran and Russia have remained close allies of Syria and support its legitimate government in the face of foreign-backed militancy.
