Iran rejects preconditions for participation in Geneva II talks on Syria

Iran stressed its preparedness to participate and play a positive role in the Geneva II conference on Syria, but meantime, rejected any preconditions for taking part in the international gathering. Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Europe and America Affairs Majid Takht Ravanchi made the remarks in a meeting with a delegation from the European Parliament headed by Hannes Swoboda in Tehran on Monday. During the meeting, the two sides exchanged views on the Syrian crisis, and underlined the necessity for the peaceful settlement of the crisis through the partnership of all the influential sides. They also warned of the threats and dangers posed by the foreign-backed extremist and terrorist groups against the regional and international peace and stability, and underscored the necessity for confronting them seriously. In relevant remarks late September, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani underlined that Tehran is ready to take part in the planned Geneva II conference on the Syrian crisis “without any preconditions”. “If invited without any preconditions, Iran will participate in the Geneva II conference in order to help resolve the Syrian crisis,” President Rouhani said in a meeting with UN and Arab League Special Envoy for Syria Lakhdar Brahimi in New York at the time. During the meeting, which was held on the sidelines of the 68th annual session of the United Nations General Assembly, the Iranian president urged an immediate settlement to the ongoing conflict in Syria. Brahimi, for his part, briefed the Iranian president on the latest developments in Syria and said he would like to see Tehran attend the upcoming Geneva II conference. Iranian officials have repeatedly underlined that Tehran is in favor of negotiations between the Syrian government and opposition groups to create stability in the Middle Eastern country. Last November, Iran hosted a meeting between the representatives of the Syrian government and opposition to encourage them to start talks to find a political solution to their problems. The National Dialogue Conference kicked off work in Tehran mid November with the motto of 'No to Violence, Yes to Democracy". The meeting brought together almost 200 representatives of various Syrian ethnicities, political groups, minorities, the opposition, and state officials. Syria has been experiencing unrest since March 2011 with organized attacks by well-armed gangs against the Syrian police, border guards, statesmen, army and civilians being reported across the country. Thousands of people have been killed since terrorist and armed groups turned protest rallies into armed clashes. The government blames outlaws, saboteurs, and armed terrorist groups for the deaths, stressing that the unrest is being orchestrated from abroad.