No Iranian military force in Syria: Syrian FM
Iran Press TV
Mon Jun 24, 2013 3:54PM GMT
Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem has categorically denied claims about Iran’s military presence in Damascus, saying Tehran always seeks a political solution to the crisis in Syria.
Speaking to reporters in Damascus on Monday, Moallem said claims by certain countries supporting terrorism that Iran has military forces in Syria are just a rumor.
The Islamic Republic of Iran is an important country in the Middle East which has always sought a political solution and dialogue to end war in Syria since the outset of the crisis in the Arab state, the minister was quoted as saying.
He praised the Iranian and Russian position on the crisis in Syria, particularly the two countries’ opposition to interference of the US and Western countries in Syria’s internal affairs.
Unrest has gripped Syria since March 2011, and many people, including large numbers of Syrian security forces, have been killed in the unrest.
Reports show the chaos in the country is being orchestrated from outside and that a very large number of militants are foreign nationals.
The Syrian foreign minister further stressed the importance of Iran’s presence in the upcoming international Geneva conference on Syria, stressing that the Islamic Republic is an influential country in the Middle East region.
On May 7, Russia and the United States agreed in Moscow to convene an international conference on Syria, which will serve as a follow-up to an earlier Geneva meeting held in June 2012.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi on Sunday expressed Tehran’s preparedness to participate in the Geneva conference if invited.
Iran has repeatedly expressed its opposition to any foreign intervention in Syria's internal affairs, stressing that inclusive dialog and national reconciliation as well as free elections are the keys to resolving the unrest in the Arab country.
SF/HGH
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