Egypt’s decision to host foreign ministerial meeting of contact group on Syria is a step forward: Iran

TEHRAN,Sept.15(MNA) – An Iranian Foreign Ministry official said that Egypt’s decision to host a foreign ministerial meeting of a contact group on Syria comprising of Egypt, Iran, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia is a step forward toward identifying common ground in regard to efforts to resolve the Syrian crisis. Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, who is the Iranian deputy foreign minister for Arab and African affairs, made the remarks in Cairo on Tuesday after a meeting of foreign ministry officials from the four countries, which was held to prepare for higher-ranking talks. According to Egyptian Foreign Minister Mohamed Kamel Amr, a meeting of foreign ministers would take place in Cairo in the “coming days”. Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi had put forward the proposal for the establishment of such a contact group during an emergency Islamic summit that was held in Mecca on August 14 and 15. Amir-Abdollahian said that the statement issued by the Egyptian Foreign Ministry on Monday could lead to a “balanced” solution to the crisis in Syria. In its statement, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry had said that Cairo would seek agreement on several points, including stopping violence, ensuring Syria’s territorial integrity, rejecting any foreign military intervention, and launching a political process to achieve the Syrian people’s aspirations for democracy, freedom, and dignity. Elsewhere in his remarks, the Iranian deputy foreign minister stated that the inclusion of a number of influential countries such as Iraq, which is the president of the Arab League, and Venezuela, which is one of the members of a troika of the Non-Aligned Movement, in the contact group would help bring Morsi’s proposal to fruition. The NAM troika consists of Iran, Egypt, and Venezuela.