Russia supports Iran\'s participation in Geneva II conference on Syria

The Russian Foreign Ministry underlined that Iran should be among the participants in the forthcoming International Geneva II Peace Conference on Syria. In a statement, the Russian Foreign Ministry said Moscow believes “influential states of the region, among them Iran,” should be invited to the Geneva II conference. Late in November, in a meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif in Geneva, UN/Arab League Joint Special Envoy for Syria Lakhdar Brahimi informed him of the latest developments and efforts made to solve the crisis in Syria through political means. During the meeting, Zarif restated Iran’s principled view for the settlement of the problems in Syria through political Syrian-Syrian talks, and appreciated Brahimi for his attempts in this regard. He also welcomed the international community’s willingness to find a realistic and political solution to the Syrian crisis. The meeting was held after Brahimi’s recent visit to Tehran late October. During the trip, he held meetings with Iran's President Hassan Rouhani and other high-ranking officials, including Zarif, to discuss the latest developments in the crisis-hit Syria and ways to end bloodshed in the Muslim country. Brahimi also held talks with senior Iranian officials on the upcoming International Geneva II Peace Conference. He met with Zarif in Tehran, and then the two diplomats attended a joint press conference. Brahimi told reporters that no letter has been sent to the world states to invite them to the Geneva II conference yet, "but the UN Secretary-General, me and many people are waiting to see the Islamic Republic of Iran's participation in this meeting". "We are in a rush to hold this conference and we believe that many are in agreement with this view of ours," he added. Brahimi noted his visit to Iran, and said, "I am asking Iran the same thing that I have asked from other states to do, that is help and cooperation to end this perilous crisis in Syria." The Iranian top diplomat, for his part, said if Tehran is invited to the Geneva meeting, it would take part in the high-profile gathering, because Tehran is resolved to help end the ongoing regrettable bloodshed in Syria. Syria has been experiencing unrest since March 2011 with organized attacks by well-armed gangs against Syrian police forces and border guards being reported across the country. Tens of hundreds of people, including members of the security forces, have been killed, when some protest rallies turned into armed clashes. The government blames outlaws, saboteurs, and armed terrorist groups for the deaths, stressing that the unrest is being orchestrated from abroad.