Zarif, Lavrov stress joint efforts to end terrorism in Syria
Iran and Russia have once again emphasized their determination to continue joint efforts aimed at boosting the fight against the Takfiri terrorist groups wreaking havoc in Syria.
In a telephone conversation on Tuesday, Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, discussed the latest developments in the Middle East region, particularly the situation in Syria.
Zarif and Lavrov agreed that Tehran and Moscow should continue coordinated anti-terror efforts based on the agreements reached during the recent rounds of international talks held in the Austrian capital, Vienna, on the deadly crisis in Syria.
The two top diplomats further underlined the necessity for a political solution to the crisis in Syria based on the high-level international discussions.
Two conferences were held on the Syria crisis in October and November in Vienna. The parties to the talk, including Iran, have been trying to work out a peace plan that would also include a ceasefire in the violence-torn Arab country.
At the end of the mid-November round of negotiations, the participants agreed to meet again in “approximately one month” to review progress towards a ceasefire and the start of a political process in the violence-scarred country, according to a closing statement.
However, they remained at loggerheads over the role that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad would play in Syria’s political process. While some countries, such as the US and its regional allies, want the removal of the Syrian leader as part of a solution to the issue, others, including Iran and Russia, say only the Syrian nation can have a say on the matter.
Last week, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon announced that a third round of talks on Syria crisis would be held in New York. However, Ban stopped short of announcing a specific date for the negotiations.
The Syrian conflict, which started in March 2011, has claimed the lives of more than 250,000 people and left over one million injured, according to the UN. The foreign-sponsored militancy has also displaced 7.6 million people.
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