Leader’s Aide Urges Syrian Opposition to Enter Talks with Gov’t

Senior Advisor of the Iranian Supreme Leader for International Affairs Ali Akbar Velayati called for talks between Damascus and the Syrian opposition to find a peaceful end to the current crisis in the country.

“If opposition groups have something to say, they should enter peaceful talks with the Syrian government,” Velayati told reporters on the sidelines of the first international Scientific Conference on the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) in Tehran on Tuesday.

As regards Iran’s stance on developments in Syria, Velayati said while Iran supports reforms in Syria, it throws its weight behind the Damascus government that serves as an essential ring in the chain of resistance against Israel.

“The Syrian government is legitimate.”

Meantime, he stated that the US and its allies seek to overthrow the Damascus government in a bid to undercut the anti-Israel resistance front.

“It’s the policy of the US, Europe and the regional reactionary (regimes) now to topple the Syrian government in order to break the resistance front against Israel,” he noted.

Also on Tuesday, Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi reiterated the necessity for the peaceful settlement of the crisis in Syria, and renewed Iran’s call for talks between Damascus and the Syrian opposition.

“Iran believes the Syrian government and opposition groups must hold talks and respect Annan’s six-point plan to tackle the ongoing crisis in the country,” Salehi said.

As regards Iran’s efforts to mediate talks between Syrian government and opposition, Salehi said Syrian opposition groups are numerous and Iran has contacted many of them.

“If some of them are opposed to Iran’s proposal for hosting a meeting aimed at meditation between the Syrian government and opposition groups, a great number welcome the idea.”