Russia Insistent on Iran's participation in proposed Int'l Conference on Syria

Russia offered a plan for the political settlement of the current crisis in Syria, calling for a meeting in Moscow or Geneva with the participation of Iran, the US and key regional and international actors, FNA reported.

According to the proposal circulated at the UN headquarters, Russia said that an international conference on Syria would initially consolidate the "potential of external players" for the sake of the political settlement of the Syrian crisis, and if it succeeds, further meetings will be held to negotiate various aspects of the settlement in a "more substantive way".

The purpose of the proposed conference is to negotiate practical steps aimed at finding a viable political solution to the Syrian crisis, encourage key external players who may exert real influence on various Syrian parties to take coherent measures in support of the UN-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan's peace plan, and ensure full implementation of Security Council resolutions 2042 and 2043.

The conference, to be held at the "earliest possible date" in Moscow or Geneva, would be attended by the foreign ministers of the five permanent UN Security Council members - US, UK, France, Russia, and China - as well as Iran, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Iraq, Turkey, Lebanon, and Jordan, along with the UN, the Arab League, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), and the European Union representatives.

The Syrian Government and the opposition may join the conference at a later stage, the paper said.

The paper noted that all participants should stop any "rhetoric which contradicts the letter and the spirit" of Annan's plan, particularly with respect to ending all violence in all its forms by all parties and creating a favorable environment for starting a political dialogue between the Syrian government and all opposition groups, aimed at negotiating every aspect of the Syrian political system.

It further invited all participants to provide their "practical support to Kofi Annan in his efforts to consolidate the opposition on a common platform of readiness to engage in such a dialogue, support the UN Supervision Mission in Syria (UNSMIS), and to block any attempts to question its mandate."

"The problems faced by Syria should be dealt with on the basis of agreements between the Syrians themselves," the Russian paper insisted.

Meantime, Russia, which is pushing for a conference on Syria to include Iran despite US opposition, said that to deny Tehran a role in helping negotiate an end to the crisis would be "thoughtless".

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that Iran should be part of efforts to end unrests in Syria, and stressed that Tehran has great influence on Damascus.

Addressing a press conference in Moscow on Saturday, Lavrov underscored that if all the countries having an influence on Syria take part in the event, it will be more effective.

"Iran is among the countries which have influence on Syria," he said.