MOSCOW. Jan 21 (Interfax) - Russia insists that Iran should participate in the process of the settlement of the situation in Syria.
"The interests of the cause essentially require the representation of Iran, like all the other countries of the region," Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told a press conference in Moscow on Tuesday.
"They have been invited, but they [Iran] have had their invitation revoked," Lavrov said.
Lavrov said Russia has always said that "everyone who has real influence on the situation in Syria" should be represented "at the initial stage of the conference Geneva II."
Lavrov reiterated that his U.S. counterpart John Kerry has also "admitted, including publicly, that Iran should play an important role in the search for acceptable ways of resolving the crisis in Syria."
Lavrov also said he believes the situation with the revocation of Iran's invitation to the conference on Syria is "not pretty."
"You know what the opposition's reaction to the announcement by the UN secretary-general on his invitation to Iran was. The national coalition gave an ultimatum: revoke this invitation, or we return the tickets in six hours. Generally, it's not a pretty situation," Lavrov said.