Iran can be ‘part of solution’ to Syrian crisis: Annan

TEHRAN, April 12 (MNA) - Kofi Annan, the UN-Arab League joint special envoy on Syria said that Iran can be “part of the solution” to the crisis engulfing Syria. Annan, who arrived in Tehran on Tuesday to hold talks with Iranian officials on the Syrian issue, made the remarks at a joint press conference with Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi on Wednesday. At the beginning of the press conference, which was held after a meeting between Annan and Salehi, Annan, the former secretary general of the United Nations, said, “I have had a very constructive discussion with the (Iranian) minister… on the Syrian situation. We have agreed that we need to find a peaceful solution to the crisis, and (I) was happy to see (that) the minister endorsed the six-point plan, which has also been endorsed by the UN and the Syrian troops. This is extremely important that we find a way to end the violence in Syria.” Annan has put forward a six-point peace plan for ending the one-year crisis in Syria, 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. In a letter to the UN Security Council, obtained by the Associated Press, Annan said on Tuesday that Syria had not pulled out troops and heavy military equipment out of cities and towns. Speaking at the press conference, Annan emphasized that a solution should be found to end the killing and to provide humanitarian assistance to those in need before getting all parties to the table, according to Al Jazeera. He also welcomed Iranian officials’ support for their efforts to restore peace in the Arab country, saying that Tehran can be “part of the solution.” The political process must be Syrian-led and respect the aspirations of the Syrian people, Annan said, adding that what is important is that governments in the region and beyond work with Syria to resolve the crisis. The “geopolitical location of Syria” is such that any miscalculation and error can have “unimaginable consequences,” he stated. On a ceasefire agreement which requires Syrian government forces to halt operations by April 12, Annan said that he had received assurances that the deadline would be honored. “If everyone respects it, I think by six in the morning on Thursday we shall see improved conditions on the ground,” Annan said. In reply to a question about calls by certain countries, including Saudi Arabia and Qatar, to arm the Syrian opposition, he noted that any further militarization of the conflict would be “disastrous.”