Iran says conflict in Syria can spread to other countries

TEHRAN, June 9 (MNA) – The Iranian ambassador to the United Nations warned about the prolongation of armed conflict in Syria and its spread to other regional countries. Ambassador Mohammad Khazaii said the conflict in Syria can engulf the whole region and insisted on the need to immediately stop funding and arming insurgent groups in the country. “The crisis in Syria can lead to more instability in the region and negatively affect economy, energy market and the well-being of people in the region,” Khazaii told a meeting of General Assembly on Thursday. The ambassador said the insurgent groups in Syria show no commitment to Kofi Annan’s plan which calls for a UN-supervised ceasefire by all parties, the withdrawal of soldiers and heavy weapons from cities, and the delivery of humanitarian assistance. He said even when the conflict first started in Syria some countries’ officials made provocative remarks to undermine any chance for a political solution to the crisis in Syria and called for regime change in the country and encouraged opposition groups to take arms against the government. The scale of violence in Syria has shocked the world. For example, in the massacre in villages in the Houla region in Homs province on May 25 108 people, including 34 women and 49 children, were brutally murdered. In a new fresh violence on Wednesday, June 6, more than 50 people including women and children were also killed in the central Hama region. The Syrian government has blamed terrorists for the massacres. Truly, Ambassador Khazaii said, certain regional countries and groups leave no stone unturned to undermine the Annan plan, adding that the massacres in the Houla and Hama regions are clear examples of this effort. He added, “We all should condemn these terrorist activities and instead of hastily charging the Syrian government (we should) wait to see a completion of investigations” into the massacres. The ambassador said the Annan plan can be very effective in bringing an end to violence in the country. “We should ask all sides to abide by Kofi Annan’s plan.” He went on to say that the Syrian government has shown its goodwill toward the Annan plan and has taken concrete steps including holding parliamentary election and amending the constitution in line with reforms introduced in the country and this reform movement is a positive response to the demands of the Syrian people and can guarantee the country’s sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity. Annan is the joint UN-Arab League special envoy tasked to bring an end to the Syrian violence. According to diplomats Annan has warned the UN Security Council that the crisis in Syria could soon spiral out of control. “We still believe that the special envoy can still play major role” in brokering a political deal in Syria and efforts should be made to create a situation in which Syria’s “national unity” and “public order” is guaranteed. “The Islamic Republic of Iran supports a constructive, impartial, and peaceful political process under the leadership of Syrians themselves and is ready to play its role in this process.” He expressed hope that the Annan plan would lead to an immediate end to violence in Syria.