Former Iranian, French FMs Discuss Syria Crisis
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Former Iranian and French foreign ministers in a meeting here in Tehran on Saturday explored avenues to make joint effort to settle the prolonged crisis in Syria.
Ali Akbar Velayati, a top international adviser to Supreme Leader and one of Iran’s former foreign ministers met with former French Foreign Minister Herve de Charette, here in Tehran on Saturday.
The Iranian adviser told reporters after the meeting that his talks with the visiting French were focued on Tehran-Paris joint efforts to resolve the crisis in Syria.
“We came to the understanding that Iran and France can cooperate with each other (on Syria) given their common interest in the destiny of the Syrian people,” Velayati said.
“We enjoy same view on the infiltration of the terrorists and the extremist elements into the region, and we believe that they should be taken away from the region,” he added, noting that a peaceful approach would be the only solution to the Syrian crisis.
Velayati further noted that de Charette is also scheduled to hold a meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on Sunday.
Syria's war that started in 2011 has so far killed over 130,000 people, driven more than a third of the country's 22 million people from their homes and made half dependent on aid, including hundreds of thousands cut off by fighting.