Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, Deputy FM for Arab and African Affairs, while expressing deep appreciation for de Mistura and his team’s serious efforts to resolve the Syrian crisis, stated that Iran is interested in assisting the implementation of the ceasefire plan.
Amir-Abdollahian called on the United Nations to play a real and effective role between the pro- and anti-Syrian government parties and stressed that distinguishing between the terrorists and the opposition is a fundamental point in the implementation of this plan.
He also underlined the importance of national dialogue as part of a political solution to the Syrian crisis.
Amir-Abdollahian pointed to the US and its regional allies’ efforts in arming and training the so-called moderate armed opposition and said, “while de Mistura’s plan to ‘freeze’ the fighting in Aleppo is in progress, the foreign-backed arming and training of the moderate opposition is in stark contrast to this plan and the UN must officially decry the arming of the opposition.”
Ramzi Ezzedine Ramzi, for his part, found the four-point plan proposed by Iranian FM noteworthy in resolving the Syrian issue and asked for aid for the implementation of its first point, i.e. the establishment of truce in Aleppo and several other areas.
While noting the positive responses of Syrian officials to this plan, Ramzi expressed hope that the initiative of ceasefire in Aleppo can soon enter the operational phase. He also stressed that in case of its success, a similar model can also be executed in other Syrian regions.
In late October, the Swedish-Italian diplomat had announced a plan for a 'freeze' in fighting, following a series of failed international efforts to negotiate an end to the Syrian conflict, which erupted in March 2011. Western powers and their regional allies, particularly Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Turkey, are the main supporters of the militants operating inside Syria.
Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem has called on rebels to hand over their heavy weapons and allow the return of local administration officials to Aleppo under any deal.
The rebels have asked for an effective freeze on the ground and that government forces are not redeployed from Aleppo to the flashpoint Eastern Ghouta region near Damascus.
MS/HRGH
MNA
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