Iran, Syria officials to discuss Geneva II talks

Top Iranian and Syrian officials are scheduled to hold talks about the latest developments in Syria and the upcoming international peace talks on the crisis in the Arab country.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif is due to meet with visiting Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Miqdad in Tehran on Tuesday.

The two senior officials will also exchange views on the latest international measures about the upcoming Geneva II peace talks.

During his stay in Tehran, Miqdad will also hold talks with other top Iranian officials.

On November 25, the UN set January 22, 2014, as the date for the Geneva 2 talks.

The conference is scheduled to be held in Switzerland in two parts. On January 22, the opening session of the event will be in the Swiss city of Montreux and then it will be moved to the UN office in Geneva on January 24.

The talks aim at finding a political solution to the deadly crisis that has gripped Syria since 2011. According to reports, the Western powers and their regional allies — especially Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey — are supporting the militants operating inside the country.

According to the United Nations, more than 100,000 people have been killed and millions displaced due to the turmoil that has gripped Syria for almost three years.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Marzieh Afkham on Monday reiterated its support for a political resolution of the Syrian crisis.

“From the outset of the Syrian crisis, the Islamic Republic of Iran has said that a political solution will be the only option to defuse tension in the country, and has always welcomed strategies that would safeguard the rights of the Syrian people through Syrian-Syrian dialog,” she said.