Ex-German FM Hails Iran’s Approach towards Syria

Former German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer, in a meeting with Chairman of the Iranian Parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Commission Alaeddin Boroujerdi, underlined that Iran has adopted a rational and correct approach towards Syria.
Fischer pointed to the Syrian crisis, and said, “We also agree with Iran’s approach that there is only a political solution to the existing cul-de-sac in Syria, otherwise many dangers would be posed to the region.”

The former German foreign minister called for further cooperation between Iran and Germany on important regional and strategic issues in future.

Boroujerdi pointed to the Syrian crisis, and said, “We had the rational belief since the beginning of the Syrian crisis that it does not have a military solution and we can be hopeful that there is an end to this country’s problems through political and diplomatic methods.”

The Iranian legislator said that all countries, including big powers, have now realized that Iran’s approach towards the Syrian crisis is correct.

Iranian officials have repeatedly underlined that Tehran is in favor of negotiations between the Syrian government and opposition groups to create stability in the Middle Eastern country.

In November 2012, Iran hosted a meeting between the representatives of the Syrian government and opposition to encourage them to start talks to find a political solution to their problems. The National Dialogue Conference kicked off work in Tehran mid November with the motto of ‘No to Violence, Yes to Democracy”.

The meeting brought together almost 200 representatives of various Syrian ethnicities, political groups, minorities, the opposition, and state officials.

Syria has been experiencing unrest since March 2011 with organized attacks by well-armed gangs against the Syrian police, border guards, statesmen, army and the civilians being reported across the country.

Thousands of people have been killed since terrorist and armed groups turned protest rallies 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 almost restored in most parts of the Arab state after President Assad started a reform initiative in the country, but Israel, the US and its Arab allies brought the country into chaos through every 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, Washington Post, reported in May, 2012 that the Syrian rebels and terrorist groups battling 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 was 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.