Iran offers to host meeting of contact group on Syria

TEHRAN,April 29(MNA) –Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi said that Iran is ready to host a meeting of a contact group on Syria comprising Iran, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey. Salehi made the remarks during a joint press conference with Guinea-Bissau’s Foreign Minister Faustino Imbali in Tehran on Sunday. “We have announced readiness to host (a meeting of) the contact group on Syria,” Salehi said, adding that Iran would also agree to a decision to hold the talks in another country, like Saudi Arabia. Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said on April 21 that negotiations of the contact group would resume soon. Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi had put forward the proposal for the establishment of the contact group to help defuse the Syrian crisis during an emergency Islamic summit held in Mecca on August 14 and 15, 2012. Commenting on bilateral relations, Salehi said that Iran was ready to share its experiences with Guinea-Bissau in all areas. He also thanked Guinea-Bissau for the stance it has adopted toward Iran in the international arena, particularly in regard to Iran’s nuclear program. Imbali for his part said that Guinea-Bissau was keen to expand cooperation with the Islamic Republic in various spheres. He also said that Tehran had already given his country a $20 million credit line.