Iran’s Foreign Minister has delivered his country’s proposal for resolving the Syrian crisis to Lakhdar Brahimi, the UN-Arab League envoy to Syria currently visiting Tehran.
IRNA reports that Ali Akbar Salehi told a joint press conference with Brahimi: “We expect that with Mr. Lakhdar Brahimi’s experience in resolving international crises and with cooperation from regional and effective states, we will find a peaceful exit from the Syrian crisis.”
Brahimi replaced Kofi Annan as the UN-Arab League envoy to Syria after Annan hung up his gloves following a number of failed attempts to resolve the situation.
Salehi stressed: “We accept the demands of the Syrian people, and they, like people of other countries, are free and have the right to run an election, to choose their parliamentary representatives and their constitution based on that freedom.”
During the past 18 months of unrest in Syria, reports indicate that more than 30,000 people have been killed in the conflicts. In August, international observers left Syria after the violence intensified there.
“We and Mr. Brahimi believe that prior to any action, the violence and bloodshed must stop in Syria. Unfortunately, every day our sisters and brothers are getting killed in Syria, and this is not in the interest of Syria, the regional countries or the international community.”
He added that Brahimi and the United Nations can take effective steps to resolve the Syrian crisis and that Iran is willing to assist them on this path.
Brahimi thanked Iran for its written proposals and added that he will collect all ideas and advice to come up with a plan to end the “nightmare that has befallen the people of Syria” and stressed that he will not consider anyone’s interests other than those of the people of Syria.
Brahimi is also set to meet on Tuesday with Iran’s Secretary of the Supreme Council of National Security, Saeed Jalili.
