June 15, 2012
Russian, Iraqi FMs emphasize Iran’s presence in Syria confab
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari said here Friday that Iran’s presence in an upcoming international meeting on Syria in Moscow is of paramount importance.
“All would-be participants, including Iran should be invited to attend the conference on Syria in Moscow,” Lavrov said in a joint press conference with his Iraqi counterpart Zebari.
Asked about the possibility of a military strike by the US on Syria, Lavrov said that he does not think that the US government had talked seriously about using military option against Syria.
“I hope that the UN Security Council does not permit such strike against Syria and that the US will not do such a thing without seeking UN’s permission,” he added.
Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari for his part said that holding an international conference on Syria without Iran’s participation is unacceptable.
“Iraq as a close neighbor of Syria does not accept preventing Iran’s participation in upcoming Syria conference,” the Iraqi foreign minister added.
Zebari expressed hope that the upcoming international conference on Syria will help to implementation of a six-article plan by UN-Arab League’s joint envoy, Kofi Annan regarding Syria.
“Kofi Annan’s peace plan for Syria has not succeeded so far and all Syrian parties should be pressured to implement this plan,” the Iraqi foreign minister added, noting that there is no other plan for bringing peace to Syria except Annan’s plan.
Zebari is currently in Moscow to meet the Russian officials there.
Russia has just proposed a plan to UN for holding an international conference on Syria in Moscow.
The Russian officials have several times before rejected oppositions to Iran’s presence in an international conference on Syria by some Western countries, especially the US.
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