Syrian PM: West not serious about political solution to crisis

Syrian Prime Minister Wael al- Halqi said the West is not serious about finding a political solution to the Syrian crisis while stressing his government's commitment to such a solution to the 28-month conflict, an Iranian TV channel reported on Saturday. "The West and America and some Arab countries are not serious about finding a political solution in Syria, and they are still supporting the rebels with arms and ammunition," al-Halqi said in an interview with Iranian al-Alam TV. In the meantime, the prime minister stressed his country's willingness to participate in any conference that would be conducive to finding a solution to the crisis, particularly the long-awaited Geneva peace conference. He pointed out "the other party has neither clear stances nor clear vision," adding there are contradictions among the opposition ranks. "As a government, we support every peaceful solution that could lead to a democratic, plural and political future for Syria," he stressed. On May 7, Moscow and Washington said they had agreed to hold an international conference in Geneva designed to facilitate a solution to the Syrian crisis through a political dialogue. The planned yet delayed conference is a follow-up to last year' s international meeting in Geneva that drafted a peace roadmap for Syria but was never implemented.