Iran to Accept No Precondition for Attending Geneva II Talks on Syria

(FNA)- Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian once again reiterated that Iran’s presence in the International Geneva II Peace Conference on Syria will be necessary, but Tehran would not accept any precondition in this regard.

“Iran is ready to participate in the next round of talks in the Swiss city of Geneva on the ongoing Syrian crisis only if it is invited to the event without any preconditions,” Amir Abdollahian told reporters on Monday evening.

He underlined that the US and other parties should be realistic in order for the Geneva talks to yield results.

“Iran has always stressed the need for dialogue and diplomacy as the only solution to the Syrian conflict,” Amir Abdollahian said.

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.

In November 2012, 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 the scene of deadly violence since March 2011. Over 130,000 people have reportedly been killed and millions displaced due to the crisis.

According to reports, the Western powers and their regional allies -- especially Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey -- are supporting the militants operating inside Syria.