Syrian President Bashar al Assad visits Syrian army troops in war-torn northwestern Idlib province, Syria, October 22, 2019 / Photo by Reuters
An Iranian diplomat has thrown Tehran’s support behind the Syrian government’s massive offensive to fully retake Idlib, the last stronghold of militants, highlighting the “necessity” of fight against terrorists in the Arab country.
Senior Assistant to Iran’s Minister of Foreign Affairs in Special Political Affairs Ali-Asghar Khaji made the remarks in a Saturday meeting with the United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Syria Geir O. Pedersen in Tehran.
The Islamic Republic of Iran stresses the need to protect the lives of civilians and prevent them from being used as human shields, and is prepared to help resolve the conflicts between Turkey and Syria, Khaji noted.
He also stressed the need for implementing the Sochi Agreement.
For his part, the secretary-general’s special envoy for Syria, who has travelled to Iran within the framework of the regional consultations, gave a report of a series of activities and measures, particularly his meetings with the Syrian officials, and praised the Islamic Republic of Iran’s support for the continuation of the activities of the Constitutional Committee.
During the meeting, the two sides discussed the latest developments in Syria, particularly the situation in Idlib, the Constitutional Committee, the reconstruction process, the task force on the exchange of the detainees and abductees, the status of the displaced, as well as other humanitarian issues.
They also talked about the grounds for mutual cooperation between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the United Nations for contribution to the settlement of the crisis in Syria.
The two sides further emphasized the necessity for the settlement of the crisis in Syria through political processes and the Syrian-Syrian dialogue.
