Iranian, Russian officials discuss Syria

TEHRAN,Oct.23(MNA) – Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov held a meeting in Tehran on Monday, in which they discussed the latest international and regional developments, including the situation in Syria. During the meeting, Amir-Abdollahian commented on the situation in Syria and said, “The views of various parties are becoming more similar, and they have reached the conclusion that they should emphasize a political solution in Syria.” He added, “We strongly support the Syrian people and (Syrian President) Bashar al-Assad’s reforms, and we call on all parties to help enforce a ceasefire.” Bogdanov thanked Iran for playing a positive and active role in resolving the crisis in the Arab country, noting that the continuation of the current situation is not in the interests of regional countries and will cause the crisis to spread beyond the Syrian borders. He also said that Russia supports the recent proposal for the declaration of a ceasefire in Syria during the Eid al-Adha holiday, an Islamic holiday which starts on the 10th of Dhul Hijjah (October 26) and lasts several days. The Russian deputy foreign minister added that the Syrian crisis cannot be resolved through military means, saying that negotiations should be held between the Syrian opposition and the government. Bogdanov met with Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi on the same day.