Iran, Russia views on Syria similar: Analyst

Iran and Russia share views about the need to find a political solution to the ongoing crisis in Syria, a political commentator tells Press TV in an interview.

“The positions of the two sides are actually unanimous on the Syrian conflict,” Dmitry Babich said on Thursday.

“Russia from day one has been pursuing a political solution to the Syrian crisis. The position of Iran was the same…,” he said, adding that Iran is needed to be present in the upcoming international peace conference on Syria.

Babich echoed calls by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov about the Geneva II conference, saying, “If Saudi Arabia participates, then certainly Iran should participate also.”

He said Russia’s position vis-à-vis Iran’s participation at the conference, scheduled to open in the Swiss city of Montreux near Geneva on January 22, differs from that of the United States.

“Russia never viewed Iran as some kind of a pariah that should not be admitted into international talks. This was the American position. This was the position of Saudi Arabia. But certainly Russia has very different views on Iran,” the analyst said.

Babich added that Moscow has rejected “any preconditions for Iran’s participation in the talks.”

On January 17, Lavrov and Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Muallem called for Iran’s participation in the Geneva II talks, designed to pave the way for the resolution of nearly three years of unrest gripping Syria.

According to figures released by the United Nations, over 100,000 people have so far been killed and millions displaced due to the turmoil.