Iran's SNSC Secretary Urges National Dialogue for Ending Syrian Crisis

During the meeting on Sunday, Jalili said, "Iran supports an all-out national dialogue in Syria."

President Assad and Jalili discussed Syria's recent developments and also the solutions to the Muslim country's crisis.

Jalili said he hoped that during his visit he would succeed in convincing Syrian groups to take part in national dialogue.

Today, Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani once more reiterated Tehran's support for a peaceful and diplomatic solution to the crisis in Syria.

Since the outset of unrests in Syria some two years ago, we have repeatedly declared the Islamic Republic's support for the promotion of democracy in Muslim countries, Larijani said, addressing an open session of the parliament on Sunday.

On December 16, the Iranian foreign ministry explained about the contents of a six-point plan for resolving the problems in Syria, saying stop of violence and preventing foreign military intervention stand atop the proposal.

According to the foreign ministry, the first step is stopping violence and preventing military intervention of other countries in the Syrian issue.

The second step is preventing the shipment of weapons and holding national talks. Setting up a committee of the representatives of the Syrian people and government to reach an agreement on necessary reforms, taking steps to hold elections, reforming the Constitution as well as holding parliamentary and presidential elections are among the other moves demanded by the Iranian proposal.

The Islamic Republic of Iran, which is a staunch supporter of the establishment of security and stability in Syria, has practically made a series of moves in the same regard, including its recent call for ceasefire which was staged in Syria in October, and the holding of the Syrian National Dialogue conference in Tehran between the Syrian opposition and government in November.

Over 200 Syrian religious and political figures, leaders of tribes and parties as well as representatives and leaders of the opposition groups joined the two-day meeting in Tehran which kicked off on Sunday.

A number of Syrian parliament members as well as senior political figures from Sudan, Algeria, Turkey, Egypt, Lebanon, Iraq, Brazil and Zimbabwe also took part in the meeting.

Syria has been experiencing unrest since March 2011 with organized attacks by well-armed gangs against Syrian police forces and border guards being reported across the country.

The US and its western and regional allies have long sought to topple Assad and his ruling system. Media reports said that the Syrian rebels and terrorist groups have received significantly more and better weapons in recent weeks, a crime paid for by the Persian Gulf Arab states and coordinated by the United States.

The US daily, Washington Post, reported in May that the Syrian rebels and terrorist groups battling the President Bashar al-Assad's government have received significantly more and better weapons in recent weeks, a crime paid for by the Persian Gulf Arab states and coordinated by the United States.

The newspaper, quoting opposition activists and US and foreign officials, reported that Obama administration officials emphasized the administration has expanded contacts with opposition military forces to provide the Persian Gulf nations with assessments of rebel credibility and command-and-control infrastructure.

Opposition activists who several months ago said the rebels were running out of ammunition said in May that the flow of weapons - most bought on the black market in neighboring countries or from elements of the Syrian military in the past - has significantly increased after a decision by Saudi Arabia, Qatar and other Persian Gulf states to provide millions of dollars in funding each month.
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