Analyst stresses necessity for Iran's participation in Geneva II conference

A senior Russian analyst underlined Iran's important role in the region, and said all influential countries, including Iran, should be invited to the International Geneva II Conference to help end the crisis in Syria through diplomatic ways. Head of Russian Center for Political and Social Studies Vladimir Yevsiyev said on Wednesday that the US opposition to Iran invitation to Geneva II Conference is a big blunder. He told reporters that the Islamic Republic of Iran plays a leading role in the Middle-East region and ignoring such brilliant role is a big blunder. If the US insists on absence of Iran at international conference on Syria, the conference will bear no fruit, he said. It is very important to make use of Iranian contribution to resolving regional developments mainly in Syria, Yevsiyev said. Early in July, Iran's Ambassador to Belgium Mahmoud Barimani said that Tehran is likely to take part in the Geneva II Conference on Syria if the US and Russia invite it to the international gathering, Iran welcomes such an invitation and this step would benefit the Syrian nation, said the Iranian envoy regarding invitation of Iran by the US and Russia to attend Geneva II conference on Syria. Barimani further called for finding a political solution to the Syria conflict. He called on both warring sides to announce a ceasefire in a bid to pave the way for holding a democratic presidential election in 2014. Late in June, Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Seyed Abbas Araqchi said that Tehran is still undecided about taking part in the upcoming Geneva II conference in Switzerland in July. "The Islamic Republic will decide about taking part in the Geneva II conference after the plans, date and agenda of the international event are announced," Araqchi said at the time. The five permanent members of the UN Security Council as well as the European Union, Syria's neighbors Turkey and Iraq, and Kuwait and Qatar attended a meeting in Geneva on June 30, 2012, on Syria which failed to address the real problems in the crisis-hit country. Despite both the then UN mediator, Kofi Annan, and Russia's insistence on the inclusion of Tehran in the talks, Iran was not invited to the conference due to the United States' rigid opposition.