Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) says commitment to the principles of democracy by all sides involved in the Syrian crisis is the best solution to the country’s ongoing crisis.

In a meeting in Tehran with UN-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan, Saeed Jalili said Iran supports a peaceful solution to the Syrian crisis based on the people’s demands and without any form of foreign intervention, a statement released by SNSC said Wednesday.

“The Syrian crisis needs a two-phased solution. In the first phase a strategy must be devised to make the armed groups opposing the Syrian government as well as countries, which aim to create a buffer zone [along their border with Syria] through providing the logistics and weaponry, commit to stopping violence and conflict and to establish stability and security,” he added.

Jalili stated that in the second phase, free parliamentary elections must be held in line with the country’s reformed constitution and an elected government should be formed by the parliament.

Annan, for his part, confirmed Jalili’s views and presented a report on his mission, emphasizing that the ambiguities in his proposed plan for Syria should be ironed out.

He added that efforts made by some countries to change the Syrian regime are a major impediment to the implementation of the plan because such efforts are not in line with his mission and the UN’s goal in Syria.

Annan also welcomed Iran’s proposal for resolving the Syrian crisis based on the principles of democracy, calling it an essential solution to the situation in Syria.

Annan arrived in Tehran for talks with senior Iranian officials about the unrest in Syria late on Tuesday night and was welcomed by Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Arab and African Affairs Hossein Amir-Abdollahian.

In addition to Iran’s Foreign Minister, the former UN secretary-general is scheduled to meet with other senior Iranian officials, including President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

press tv/281

News ID 181688