MOSCOW, February 22 (Itar-Tass) —— President Dmitry Medvedev and Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad discussed the situation in Syria.
During a telephone conversation on Wednesday, February 22, Medvedev and Ahmadinejad focused on the “dramatic situation around Syria” and called for “the speediest resolution of the crisis by the Syrian people solely by peaceful methods without external interference”, the presidential press service said.
The two leaders stressed the “need to stop violence, begin constructive political dialogue between the authorities and the opposition without preconditions”.
They “noted the importance of continuing political and socio-economic reforms in that country in a calm environment in the interests of all Syrians”.
Medvedev and Ahmadinejad agreed that “the main task now, including in the work of international organisations, primarily the United Nations, is to prevent a civil war in the country that can destabilise the in the whole region”.
They called for “mobilising the efforts of all those who are interested to stop the bloodshed and confrontation and restore peace and stability in Syria”.
King Abdullah bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud of Saudi Arabia, which whom Medvedev also had a telephone conversation earlier in the day, said Russia should have consulted Arab countries before using its right to veto on the Syria resolution in the U.N. Security Council.