The Crisis in Syria is exported from abroad: Iran’s FM

TEHRAN, (ST) _ “The crisis Syria is facing now was exported to it from abroad,” said the Iranian Foreign Minister, Ali Akbar Salehi, noting that foreign  interference in the Syrian affairs constitutes a grave  step  in international relations and ignites violence in the region as a whole.

 Salehi’s remarks were made in the opening of the conference under the title “No to violence, yes to dialogue and democracy” on Sunday.

” This  conference can be an important step forward to eliminate the crisis in Syria, and help to restore  stability and calm to the country”, Salehi added,  noting  that maintaining understanding between different Syrian components is the prime goal of this conference.

 He said that certain foreign sides seek to prevent finding out peaceful solutions in Syria, rather support violence in it, by taking irrational steps to arming terrorist groups; a matter which is only conducive to the escalation of the crisis.

“Certain sides want to fish in troubled waters, through the escalation of the crisis in Syria”, Salehi said, noting that resorting to the option of violence will not solve the crisis in Syria, rather will be damaging for the area as a whole.

He stressed that his country will spare no efforts to stop the bloodshed and the restoration of peace in Syria, adding:” serving Syria’s  supreme interests should be the basis  for the cessation of violence and bloodshed.”

  He called for supporting the efforts of the UN envoy to Syria Lakhdar al-Ibrahimi, commitment Kofi Annan six point plans and to the Syrian government’s proposals to resolve the crisis.

“Syria is an important country in the Middle East and a successful model for peaceful coexistence,” the Iranian FM confirmed.

Minister Salehi  warned against sending weapons to the opposition in Syria, saying that this would threaten regional stability and increase the “risk of terrorism.” “Some countries envisage arming the opposition with heavy and semi-heavy weaponry; in reality, they seek to legitimize publicly what they have been doing in secret,”

Minister Salehi said such arms deliveries would set a “dangerous precedent” and constitute “a clear interference in the affairs of an independent country, and will  spread insecurity, the  risk of terrorism and organized violence in all of the region,”

In similar statements to ” al-Alam TV Channel”, spokesman for the Iranian foreign ministry Ramin Mehmanparast  said :” Iran  seeks to crystallize all visions  in order to conclude a unified position  to solve the crisis in Syria . We acquainted all parties with our proposals to finding out a peaceful to the crisis.”

T. Fateh/ B. N.