‘Iran has established contact with Syrian opposition’

DHAKA: Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi says that Iran has already established contact with a large segment of the Syrian opposition.

‘The Islamic Republic of Iran has already been in contact with a large segment of the Syrian opposition and has held consultations (with them). Now, we are also ready to facilitate talks between the opposition and the Syrian government,’ Salehi said in Tehran, reports Tehran Times.

‘Regional countries and those interested in regional peace should always work hand in hand to find a way out of the crisis… in order to ensure that the final outcome will be to the benefit of the Syrian people, the region, and the international community,’ he added.

On Sunday, Salehi announced that Iran is ready to host negotiations between the Syrian government and the country’s opposition, saying, ‘The Islamic Republic of Iran is ready to hold a meeting with the Syrian opposition and invite them to Iran, and we are ready to pave the way for negotiations between the opposition and the Syrian government.’

He added, ‘We believe that the Syrian issue should be resolved through a Syrian-Syrian solution, and nothing, no rule, and no government should be imposed (on Syria) from outside.’

BDST: 2103 HRS, JUL 17, 2012

Edited by Robab Rosan, Cultural Affairs Editor