Tehran to host another meeting on Syria: Iran FM

“We are trying to hold another meeting with regard to this issue (the Syria crisis) within the next few weeks,” Salehi said Wednesday.

Syria has been experiencing unrest since March 2011, and many people, including large numbers of Syrian security forces, have been killed in the turmoil.

    Iran hosted a the two-day meeting between the representatives of the Syrian government and opposition groups in November with participants unanimously opposing foreign interference and calling for a peaceful resolution to the conflict in the Arab country.


High-ranking officials from different countries including Russia, China, Iraq, Egypt, Turkey and Jordan participated in the meeting with the main theme of “No to Violence, Yes to Democracy.”

The Iranian foreign minister also stated that a committee has been established to pursue the outcomes of the previous Syria meeting in Tehran and it has been in contact with other Syrian groups in order to expand the scope of talks.

Referring to negotiations between Iran and the P5+1 (the US, Britain, China, France, Russia, and the US plus Germany), Salehi said, “Dr. [Saeed] Jalili [the secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council] and [EU foreign policy chief, Catherine] Ashton are to discuss the date and venue of this meeting over the phone.”

Ashton's spokesman said on November 21 that the P5+1 is “committed to having another round of talks with Iran as soon as possible.”

Iran and the P5+1 have held several rounds of multifaceted talks mainly over Tehran’s nuclear energy program.

The United States, Israel and some of their allies have repeatedly accused Iran of pursuing non-civilian objectives in its nuclear energy program.

Iran argues that as a signatory to Non-Proliferation Treaty and a member of International Atomic Energy Agency, it is entitled to develop and acquire nuclear technology for peaceful purposes.