Iran Urges Helping Syria Reconstruction Unconditionally

TEHRAN– Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Hossein Jaberi Ansari called for international aid for Syria without any preconditions, saying such help should be accompanied by the fight against terrorism and by Syrian-Syrian talks for settling the crisis.

Speaking at a meeting with Secretary General of European External Action Service (EEAS) Helga Schmid in Brussels on Wednesday, Jaberi Ansari underscored that humanitarian aid for Syria and reconstruction of the war-torn country should take place without any preconditions, according to the Tasnim News Agency.

 Dismissing a military solution to Syria’s six-year war, the Iranian diplomat stressed that the countries involved in the peace process should be only supporters and facilitators, and reiterated that the people of Syria alone should decide their country’s fate.

Schmid, for her part, said the European Union holds negotiations with Iran as a “key player” in the settlement of the Syria crisis for the purpose of finding ways to end the war in the Arab country.

 She noted that helpful plans in Syria, including ceasefire or reconstruction projects, should be carried out under the auspices of the United Nations and other players.

Diplomatic efforts to end fighting in Syria have gained momentum in recent weeks with the announcement of a ceasefire in the Arab country on January 1.

The truce, which has been negotiated between Russia, Iran, Turkey, the Damascus government and the Syrian opposition, excludes terrorist groups such as Daesh (ISIL) and Jabhat Fateh al-Sham.

It will be followed by a new round of peace talks between the Syrian government and the opposition in Astana, Kazakhstan.

Syria has been gripped by civil war since March 2011 with various terrorist groups, including Daesh, currently controlling parts of it.

M.Wassouf