Russia Says Iran’s Participation in Syria Talks Necessary

Bogdanov on Monday underscored the necessity for Iran’s participation in the Vienna talks, which are aimed at helping resolve the ongoing crisis in Syria.

In a phone conversation with Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Arab and African Affairs Hossein Amir Abdollahian, the Russian diplomat also noted that Iran and Russia share stances on the developments in Syria.

Amir Abdollahian, for his part, announced that Iran will participate in the Vienna talks to help restore peace and security to the Arab country, but at the same urged all parties to the talks to be realistic.

Adopting a realistic approach by all sides in the talks is an important factor in the resolution of political crisis in the war-hit country, Amir Abdollahian stressed.

He further noted that the Syrian people are the ones who will decide their fate through a democratic process, but for now, the Syrian nation and army are engaged in the fight against terrorism.  

The first round of meetings on Syria was held in Vienna on October 30. Senior diplomats from a number of influential countries, including Iran, as well as envoys from the United Nations (UN) and the European Union (EU) attended the talks.

It was the first time that Tehran participated in the international talks on Syria. Two previous conferences, known as Geneva I and Geneva II, failed to achieve anything in terms of resolving the conflict in the Arab country.

Syria has been gripped by civil war since March 2011 with Takfiri terrorists from various groups, including ISIL, currently controlling parts of it.

According to the United Nations, more than 250,000 people have been killed and one million wounded during the conflict.

In the meantime, Iran has remained a close ally of Syria and supports its legitimate government in the face of foreign-backed militancy.