Syria National Reconciliation Meeting Underway In Tehran

Tehran, Nov 19, IRNA – Syria National Reconciliation meeting is underway in Tehran in presence of representatives of Syrian opposition and the government. The participants clarified their stances and views on Syrian crisis transparently. The meeting brought together more than 200 representatives of various Syrian factions, political groups, minorities, the opposition, and the government officials. The one-day meeting aims to find practical mechanisms to settle Syria crisis. Some 48 distinguished political and international personalities are attending the session. Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the "National Dialogue Conference" among different Syrian groups, Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi hailed the idea of organizing the conference and said it is in line with aspirations of the Syrian people because it is in pursuit of the legitimate demands of the Syrian nation. He said Iran's offer to host such a meeting of the Syrian opposition was a "new initiative". He added various meetings have so far been held among opposition groups and members, while the opponents of the Syrian government, especially foreign-based groups, are not integrated and have failed to materialize the demands of the Syrian nation. He deplored the extremist approaches of the opposition which led to shed the blood of both pro-Assad troops and the opposition. "But our goal is to have the Syrian government respond to its nation's legal demands since the Syrian nation, like any other free nations, should be able to exercise democratic rights," he added. He said that the Syrian people are entitled to hold elections, elect their president and enjoy freedom of press and political parties. "The Syrian government has voiced its preparedness to carry out such reforms and we should facilitate the meeting between the opposition and the government in a bid to reach a Syrian-Syrian peaceful approach to end the crisis in Syria and avoid a foreign-imposed method." "We will have a free dialogue" in Tehran, he underscored. The Syrian National Dialogue Conference kicked off in Tehran this morning. The Islamic Republic of Iran is in favor of negotiations between the Syrian government and opposition groups to create stability in the Middle Eastern country. Syria has been experiencing unrest since March 2011 with organized attacks by well-armed gangs against Syrian police forces and border guards being reported across the country. Hundreds of people, including members of the security forces, have been killed, when some protest rallies turned into armed clashes. The government blames outlaws, saboteurs, and armed terrorist groups for the deaths, stressing that the unrest is being orchestrated from abroad. In October 2011, calm was eventually restored in the Arab state after President Assad initiated a reform program, but, Israel, the US and its Arab allies are seeking hard to bring the country into chaos through any possible means. Tel Aviv, Washington and some Arab capitals have been staging various plots in the hope of increasing unrests in Syria. The US daily, The Washington Post, reported in May that the Syrian rebels and terrorist groups battling President Bashar al-Assad's government have received significantly more and better weapons in recent weeks, a crime paid for by the Persian Gulf Arab states and coordinated by the United States. The newspaper, quoting opposition activists and US and foreign officials, reported that Obama administration officials emphasized the administration has expanded contacts with opposition military forces to provide the Persian Gulf nations with assessments of rebel credibility and command-and-control infrastructure. According to the report, material is being stockpiled in Damascus, in Idlib near the Turkish border and in Zabadani on the Lebanese border. Opposition activists who several months ago said the rebels were running out of ammunition said in May that the flow of weapons - most bought on the black market in neighboring countries or from elements of the Syrian military in the past - has significantly increased after a decision by Saudi Arabia, Qatar and other Persian Gulf states to provide millions of dollars in funding each month./end