Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct. 29
By Umid Niayesh - Trend:
Deputy foreign minister of Iran said on the verge of the Syria summit that there has not been any change in Iran's policy on the Syria issue.
Tehran has always expressed support for the government of the Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. The Islamic Republic views the Syrian regime as its main strategic ally in the region and as part of an "axis of resistance" against Israel.
Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister for Arab and African Affairs Hossein Amir-Abdollahian announced during an interview with Iran's state TV, IRIB on Oct.29, a day before the Syria summit, which is scheduled to be held with participation of Iran in Vienna, Austria that those who wants to skip over Bashar al-Assad must be aware that the final decision on Syria should be made by the Syrian people.
Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif left Tehran for Vienna, Austria to participate in the Syria summit to be held on Oct. 30.
According to a report released by Fars News Agency on Oct.29, Along with Zarif, Deputy Foreign Ministers Abbas Araqchi, Majid Takht Ravanchi and Hossein Amir Abdollahian will also attend the one-day event.
Iran FM spokeswoman Marziyeh Afkham confirmed on Oct.28 that the Islamic Republic has been invited to participate in the Syria summit, adding the issue is under study.
She further said that Zarif and his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov spoke on the phone the prior evening and the morning of the 28th about the upcoming Vienna summit.
Iran's official IRNA news agency also quoted Afkham as saying Zarif, heading a high-ranking political delegation, will discuss the Syria crisis with counterparts in Vienna.
Afkham added that Iranian and US delegations most likely will discuss the nuclear issue and the process of the nuclear deal-Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA)- implementation in a meeting on the sidelines of the Vienna summit.
The Vienna summit is aimed at finding a framework for political transition in Damascus. The foreign ministers of Iran, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, the US, and Russia will participate in the summit.
Western countries accuse Iran of running military operations in Syria, but Tehran denies the accusations. Iranian officials have repeatedly stressed that they only render military consultations to the Syrian forces.
While Washington has opposed Iran 's support of Assad and Lebanon's Hezbollah in Syria, it has insisted that Iran needs to be included in the talks on Syria's future.
Edited by CN