Speaking with Faisal Meqdad, the special envoy of the Syrian President and the country’s deputy foreign minister, Ali Akbar Salehi said on Wednesday that international and regional parties should avoid hasty, interventionist and unilateral measures in Syria.
According to a Foreign Ministry statement, Salehi emphasized Iran's all-out support for Damascus, saying Syria should pass through the existing security situation, push ahead with reforms, and pay attention to popular demands as a prelude to national dialogue.
The Iranian foreign minister voiced readiness to help the Syrian government and nation especially with the reconstruction of areas damaged in the unrest.
Meqdad, for his part, presented a comprehensive report on the latest political, security and economic situation in Syria, adding that Damascus is serious about proposed reforms and initiating the national dialogue.
Earlier on Wednesday, Salehi told reporters after a meeting with visiting Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan that Annan would visit Tehran next week.
“We are optimistic about Kofi Annan’s mission in Syria and we think that support from Arabs, Turkey, and the UN for Kofi Annan’s mission will help solving the crisis in Syria,” he added.
Salehi also warned that any hasty unilateral action that would lead to a power vacuum in Syria could have serious consequences for the region.
Syria has been the scene of unrest since mid-March, 2011, with demonstrations being held both against and in support of President Bashar Assad's government.
The West and the Syrian opposition accuse the government of killing protesters. But Damascus blames ''outlaws, saboteurs and armed terrorist groups'' for the unrest, insisting that it is being orchestrated from abroad.
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Iran’s Foreign Minister warns against intervention in Syria, voicing Tehran’s readiness to help with the political process initiated by the Syrian government and UN-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan.
News ID 181645
