Iran’s FM Hopes Munich Talks Helps Resolve Syrian Crisis
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on Friday expressed the hope that the recent talks in the German city of Munich between major world players on the Syrian crisis would end the sufferings of the Arab country’s nation.
“I hope Munich negotiations would lead to a logical solution” to the Syrian crisis, Zarif said, expressing the hope that an end would be found to the “humanitarian catastrophe”.
He further noted that those whose illusions have kept the Syrian people in pain, suffering, carnage, and displacement for years should now face the realities and accept them in this “logical solution”.
Zarif, who arrived in the German city on Thursday along with his Deputy for Arab and African Affairs Hossein Amir Abdollahian to attend a fresh round of talks on the Syrian crisis, has held several separate meetings with world figures and diplomats on the sidelines of the negotiations.
The Iranian top diplomat on Friday held a meeting with UN Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson, during which the two sides conferred on latest regional developments, particularly the ongoing crises in Yemen and Syria.
Earlier on Thursday, he also held a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. During the 45-minute meeting, the two sides conferred on issues of mutual interest.
The Iranian minister also held meetings with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Oman’s Foreign Minister Yusuf bin Alawi, and Pakistani Defense Minister Khawaja Asif.
He also met with UN Envoy for Syrian Affairs Staffan de Mistura and Secretary General of Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Iyad bin Amin Madani.
The meetings came as world actors convened on Thursday in Munich and agreed to a plan to “cease hostilities” in Syria within a week and dramatically ramp up humanitarian access in the war-ravaged country.
Ministers at Thursday's talks wrangled over three core issues: a gradual cessation of hostilities with a firm end date, humanitarian access to cities being besieged by both sides and a commitment that Syrian parties return to Geneva for political negotiations.
Diplomatic delegations from Iran, Saudi Arabia, Britain, China, Egypt, France, Germany, Iraq, Italy, Jordan, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Russia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, the US as well as the Arab League, the European Union and the United Nations attended the Munich talks.