Today the inter-Syrian talks should begin in Geneva. However, experts do not rule out that the start of the consultations could be shifted to a later date, due to the opposition’s doubts. Yesterday Staffan de Mistura, Special Envoy of the UN Secretary-General for Syria, promised the Syrian people that the talks of January 29th would end successfully. Russia, the USA and Iran also urged the Syrian opposition to reject preconditions. Hossein Amir Abdollahian, Deputy Foreign Minister of Iran, promised that Iran and Russia would continue supporting Syria.
“We believe that a very important component for the implementation of the Vienna agreements, of course, is the will of certain countries. And the neighbors of Syria certainly should control their borders very carefully. If foreign terrorists are not able to enter Syria through certain borders, security would be established in Syria in a very short period. The fact that terrorists enter this country, as well as the support that is provided to them by some countries, has led to the complication of the situation. One of the political consequences of this case lies in the fact that today it has become very difficult to separate the opposition from the terrorists,” Abdollahian thinks.
According to him, “some countries are making efforts to ensure to put a new mask on these terrorists, and present them as the political opposition, and to put them at the negotiating table during the negotiations on Friday. We support the efforts of Mr. de Mistura and we are optimistic regarding the inter-Syrian negotiations. However, simultaneously with the political process, of course, we have to carry out a very serious fight against terrorism in Syria itself.”
Abdollahian also states that Tehran and Moscow support the UN efforts on a political settlement of the Yemeni issue: “We believe that it is necessary to suspend the military attacks on the oppressed people of Yemen. Saudi Arabia is experiencing some confusion, and this complicates the situation in Yemen. A suspension of the attacks on Yemen from Saudi Arabia is in favor of Saudi Arabia, Yemen, and the whole region. We urge Saudi Arabia to suspend its provocative actions, as well as actions that lead to the creation of tension.”
