The deputy secretary general of the Arab League has emphasized the significance of Iran's participation in the upcoming international conference on Syria in Vienna. Ahmed Bin Helli noted in a Friday interview with Voice of Russia radio that Iran, as a significant regional player, must participate in the international summit on Syria, due to be held in Vienna on June 30, IRNA reported.
Helli described the Syria plan by joint UN-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan as a “near failure," asserting that the two sides in the Syrian unrest are ‘unwilling or incapable of halting the bloodshed.' Highlighting the significance of international collaboration to resolve the Syrian crisis and bring an end to the ongoing violence, he added that the immediate concern is reaching a consensus on an agenda for the upcoming Syria summit and then deciding on the mix of participants. Moreover, he noted that Iran's attendance in the conference is under review and that it can play a role in resolving the Syrian conflict. The Arab League official, who is in Russia on a visit, met Thursday with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Michael Bugdanov to discuss the situation in Syria and other Arab states. Russia has repeatedly called for Iran's participation in the international conference on Syria and has criticized the American opposition to Iran's role in the summit. In a Thursday interview with a local radio station, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov reiterated Moscow's support for key regional countries such as the Islamic Republic's participation in the Syrian meeting.
