US Idea on Iran’s ‘Sideline’ Involvement In Geneva II Rejected
Local Editor
Iran dismissed a Monday statement made earlier by US Secretary of State John Kerry that Iran should only help with efforts to resolve the crisis in Syria on the "sidelines."
Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Marziyeh Afkham stressed that any role it would play in solving the Syrian conflict should respect the Islamic Republic dignity.
"From the outset of the Syrian crisis, the Islamic Republic of Iran has said that a political solution will be the only option to defuse tension in the country, and has always welcomed strategies that would safeguard the rights of the Syrian people through Syrian-Syrian dialog," said Afkham, according to Iranian Press TV.
"However, in order to take part in the Geneva II conference, the Islamic Republic of Iran will not accept any proposal that does not respect its dignity," she added.
US Secretary of State John Kerry suggested on Sunday there might be ways Iran could "contribute from the sidelines" in a so-called Geneva 2 peace conference in Montreux, Switzerland, on January 22.
For his part, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon was sending out invitations on Monday to potential participants the talks, but while he wants Iran to attend there was no agreement yet on whether to invite it.
In addition, an anonymous US official told Reuters other participating nations have opposed Iran's inclusion in Geneva. Though the official did not name the nations, likely among them are Gulf Arab states like Saudi Arabia, Reuters speculated.
However, Ban said in a statement on Monday that the final decision on the participation of the Islamic Republic will be made in a January 13 meeting between Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Kerry.
Source: Websites
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