Iran's First Deputy Majlis Speaker Mohammad Hassan Aboutorabi-Fard underlined Tehran’s opposition to any foreign meddling in Syria to determine the fate of the Syrian nation and said, “The Islamic Republic of Iran believes that the Syrian government and nation need to settle their issues within the framework of national interests.”
He said the UN-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan’s recent visit to Iran is an acknowledgment that the Islamic Republic has a key positive role to play on Syrian issue.
Annan visited Iran this week and held talks with Iran's Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi and Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council Saeed Jalili on the situation in Syria.
In a joint press conference with Salehi following their meeting, Annan stressed that Iran must have a part in working out a solution to Syria’s crisis, as it can play a positive role in ending the violence in the Arab country.
"Here I am talking to Minister Salehi and seeking the support and cooperation of Iran in my efforts to resolve this conflict peacefully," he said.
“My presence here proves that I believe Iran can play a positive role and should therefore be part of the solution in the Syrian crisis,” he added.
Salehi, for his part, said Tehran fully supports Annan's six-point plan on ending the unrest in Syria.
Syria has been experiencing unrest since mid-March 2011. The violence has claimed the lives of many people, including security forces.
The West and the Syrian opposition accuse the government of killing protesters, but Damascus blames ‘outlaws, saboteurs, and armed terrorist groups’ for the unrest, asserting that it is being orchestrated from abroad.
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