Iran described as ‘golden key’ to Syrian crisis at Annan’s meeting with Iranian FM

TEHRAN,July 11(MNA) – Iran was described as the “golden key” to the Syrian crisis during a meeting between Kofi Annan, the UN-Arab League joint special envoy on Syria, and Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi in Tehran on Tuesday, according to the press office of the Iranian Foreign Ministry. During the meeting, Salehi said, “Everyone should make efforts to help find the best way out of the problem.” “Regional and influential countries should adopt a realistic approach to help prevent foreign interference in Syria, which would make the situation more critical and difficult,” he added. Salehi also said that Iran will continue to support Annan’s six-point plan to help improve the situation, adding that a sense of realism, impartiality, and patience are needed for the success of any plan. Annan has put forward a six-point peace plan for ending the 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. The Iranian foreign minister added that Iran’s stance is that the fundamental rights of the Syrian people should be respected, reforms which are already underway should be implemented to fulfill those rights, and foreign interference in the internal affairs of Syria as an important country in the front line against the Zionist regime should be prevented. Certain media outlets are publishing “biased” reports with the aim of diverting attention from the realities on the ground and poisoning the atmosphere, he noted. Iran can play a ‘positive’ role in Syrian issue Annan said that his visit to Tehran is in line with his efforts to defuse the Syrian crisis, emphasizing Iran’s important role in resolving the situation. Iran can play a “positive” role in the Syrian issue, he stated, expressing regret over the fact that Iran was excluded from a meeting of the Action Group on Syria, which was held in Geneva on June 30. He briefed Salehi on the results of the Geneva conference and said that it is necessary that consultation with Iran continue on the Syrian crisis.