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Annan: Iran, Iraq Willing to Help End Violence in Syria


The UN-Arab League Special Envoy on Syria, Kofi Annan, said at the end of his consultations with Iranian and Iraqi officials that both nations want cessation of hostilities in Syria.

Speaking to reporters after his meeting with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, Annan said that he and Maliki discussed the necessity for talks among all disputing parties, and “we exchanged views about our approaches towards the existing solutions to the Syrian crisis”.

He said that he plans to brief the UN Security Council on the achievements of his visit to Iran and Iraq.

As regards the outcomes of his visit to Iran and Iraq, Annan said that the visits provided him with a proper opportunity for consultations with Tehran and Baghdad.

“Iran and Iraq both want a cessation of hostilities in Syria,” Annan reiterated, and noted that Maliki has voiced concerned about continued violence in Syria.

Annan visited Iraq on Tuesday after a daylong visit to Tehran, where he underlined that Iran is a main part of the solution to the Syrian crisis.

Annan is reaching out to the regional nations to salvage his faltering Syria peace plan which has been recently facing the danger of complete failure due to Washington’s stubborn support for terrorist groups in Syria.

The trips to Iraq and Iran come a day after Annan agreed with Syrian President Bashar Assad on a new framework to stop the violence.

“My presence here proves that I believe Iran can play a positive role and should therefore be a part of the solution in the Syrian crisis,” Annan told reporters in Tehran after meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi.

He said that he has always “received encouragement and cooperation” from the Iranian government.

Annan brokered a six-point peace plan earlier this year, but it has struggled to gain traction on the ground.

Terrorists and rebels widely supported by the US, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkey have disregarded a cease-fire that was to begin in April, and spreading violence has kept nearly 300 UN observers monitoring the truce stuck in their hotels in Syria.

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