Iranian, Russian FMs Meet in Vienna, Discuss Syria
TEHRAN (Tasnim) - Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov in a meeting in Austria discussed the lingering crisis in Syria and the joint efforts to settle conflicts in the Arab country.
In the bilateral meeting in Vienna on Thursday evening, Zarif and Lavrov talked about the political processes to end a four-and-a-half-year war in Syria, with both emphasizing the necessity for the fight against terrorism and extremism and for the onset of national dialogue in the Arab nation.
Zarif and Lavrov, along with top diplomats from the US, Britain, France, Germany, Egypt, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates are in Vienna for an international meeting to find a solution to the Syrian crisis.
The Iranian minister announced earlier that Tehran maintains that only the Syrian people should decide on the future of the country and that others should avoid meddling in its affairs.
Syria has been gripped by civil war since March 2011 with Takfiri terrorists from various groups, including the ISIL, currently controlling parts of it.
According to the United Nations, more than 240,000 people have been killed and one million wounded during the conflict.