MOSCOW, June 8 (Itar-Tass) —— Russia supports Iran’s participation in an international conference on Syria, Russian special presidential representative for the Middle East and Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov said in an interview with the Russia Today television channel on Friday.
“Today we put forward an initiative for an international conference on Syria and are holding intensive consultations with possible participants in this conference,” the high-ranking Russian diplomat said. “Primarily, this is certainly permanent members of the UN Security Council and several influential regional players, as well as the leadership of international regional markets,” he said.
“We support Iran’s participation, because all recognize Iran’s influence on the general situation in the region, and certainly on Syrian events,” Bogdanov went on to say. “I refer to the historical ties: that country is actually situated near Syria, and we believe that such countries as Iran and Saudi Arabia should participate in this international meeting,” he said.
Commenting on the US objections over Iran’s participation in the conference, Bogdanov said, “We will certainly discuss it with our US partners, I mean that the United States are also having contacts in multilateral and bilateral formats on some issues, which are of mutual interest.” “The Syrian crisis and the search for a peaceful political settlement of this crisis lay a basis, where the interests of all leading influential players coincide,” the deputy foreign minister underlined.