TEHRAN – “We are happy that we are getting close to a political solution of the [Syrian] crisis,” Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said on Tuesday.

Talking to reporters on the sidelines of his meeting with UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura in Tehran, Amir-Abdollahian said that the process of political dialogue among the Syrian government, opposition groups and civil society has entered a new phase.

However, Amir-Abdollahian said Iran is concerned that an uptick in violations of ceasefire could harm planned peace talks this week aimed at ending the five-year-old civil war in Syria.

“One of our main concerns in Syria is the increasing activities of armed groups in recent days and the increase in breaches of the ceasefire that can harm the political process (of peace talks),” Abdollahian said, Reuters reported.

He also expressed hope that all the international sides would take steps in fighting terrorism and strengthening the political process.

“We hope that all regional and international sides will take fundamental and important steps on the two paths of fighting terrorism seriously and strengthening the political process,” the senior diplomat said, according to the Press TV.

He also said that list of the opposition groups is confusing as it is difficult to distinguish between oppositionists and terrorists.

—– De Mistura says consulting with Iran is ‘important’

De Mistura said that consulting with the Iranian officials on Syria is “important” and “effective”.

“Ending enmities in Syria, sending humanitarian aid to the country and continuing political procedure to settle the country’s crisis was stressed in today’s meeting,” the UN envoy told reporters after his meeting with Amir-Abdollahian.

De Mistura arrived in Tehran after holding meetings with Syria’s foreign minister in Damascus on Monday.

NA/PA

SOURCE:

http://www.tehrantimes.com/news/300551/We-are-close-to-solving-Syria-conflict-Iran