Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has condemned the “unjustified objectification” of terrorism in Syria by any foreign party.
Zarif made the remarks in a Thursday meeting with United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on the sidelines of an international conference in London for raising aid for war-stricken Syrians.
“Combating terrorism in the region must be firmly pursued by all regional and international parties as long as political process is being pursued within the framework of [Syrian] government’s dialogue with opposition [groups],” he said.
The Iranian foreign minister reiterated the Islamic Republic’s support for peace talks between Syria’s government and the opposition, calling for diplomacy as the only way out of the crisis in the Arab country.
A fresh round of UN-brokered peace talks between Syrian warring parties suspended in the Swiss city of Geneva on Wednesday. UN special envoy Staffan de Mistura said the halt is “not a failure of talks,” adding they will be resumed on February 25 as he pledged to remain “determined and realistic” in the face of challenges.
Ban’s office said he told Zarif that he “very much regretted that increased aerial bombing, as well petty procedural issues, had forced his Special Envoy [Staffan de Mistura] to temporarily postpone the Syria talks”.
The UN chief told Zarif that “Iran could play a positive role in the effort to achieve a cessation of violence in Syria so as to put an end to the suffering of the Syrian people and allow humanitarian aid delivery.”
Zarif separately held talks with British Prime Minister David Cameron.
Downing Street said that during the meeting between Zarif and Cameron, the two officials “agreed that progress had been made on the bilateral relationship” between Tehran and London.
World leaders and officials have gathered in London to attend the conference aimed at raising $9 billion for Syria, where foreign-sponsored militancy, which began in March 2011, has claimed the lives of over 260,000 people and displaced almost half of the country’s population.
The conference is expected to broach Syria’s humanitarian needs and discuss options for ending the country’s five-year conflict.
Zarif also held talks with his Swedish counterpart Margot Wallstrom on the sidelines of the conference. They exchanged views on the ways to settle ongoing crises in the region.
The Iranian minister also held separate talks with the Emir of Kuwait, Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, and discussed regional issues.
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