MOSCOW. June 9 (Interfax) - A forum of external actors discussing the situation in Syria is best held in the format of an international conference, Moscow says.
On Friday, United Nations Secretary General's Special Envoy Kofi Annan said he is in talks over the formation of a contact group to settle the Syrian crisis, and expressed his hope for Iran's participation.
"There is no fundamental difference between what Kofi Annan said and our proposal. We tentatively discussed our idea with him and got his full backing. How this event will be called is a matter of consultations. We believe that it would be most fitting to shape it as an international conference," Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov told Interfax.
"Essentially, what Kofi Annan is proposing is consistent with the Russian initiative to convene an international conference on Syria. We believe that given the critical situation in this country, it is necessary to agree upon practical steps to shift the Syrian conflict into a political territory. For this purpose, it is necessary to mobilize the key external actors who have a genuine effective influence on various Syrian sides so as to prompt them to comply fully with Annan's peace plan," Gatilov said.
"Certainly, we are ready for consultations, both with Kofi Annan, who seemed to favor our proposal, and other concerned parties, as to the modalities of holding such an event and practical implementation of its outcomes. Certainly, the circle of attendees will have to be agreed upon too, and should, in our view, include the key UN Security Council nations, as well as regional states, primarily, those bordering Syria and having their own interests in this region," Gatilov said.
A country such as Iran "has a full right to be represented at this conference because given its regional role and the specific nature of its relations with Syria, we believe that Iran's participation could play a constructive role in searching for solutions to the Syrian conflict," the Russian deputy foreign minister said.