Iranian Foreign Minister Zarif says that the improvement of the situation in Syria provides an opportunity to work out a political solution to the Syrian crisis.
MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Recent positive developments in the Syrian crisis bring about a "historical opportunity" to achieve a political solution to the conflict, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said Saturday.
"Today, the situation of the government and people of Syria has improved, while extremist and radical groups find themselves in unfavorable conditions, which brings about a historical opportunity to find a political solution [to the Syrian crisis]," Zarif said, as quoted by the press service of the Iranian government.
According to the Iranian foreign minister, the conflicts in Syria, Yemen, Bahrain and other countries of the Middle East should not be resolved through military means, but through a political process, which stipulates that the people should define the future of their countries.
Zarif also argued that foreign countries could offer assistance to pave the way for the political solution to crises, but should refrain from imposing their will on the conflict-affected nations, while stressing that Syrian talks in Kazakh capital of Astana have brought positive results, and will continue to be an efficient platform for the reconciliation of the Syrian crisis.
The civil war between the Syrian government forces and various opposition and terror groups has been raging in the country since 2011. The parties to the conflict and representatives of international community negotiate the reconciliation of the Syrian crisis in Switzerland's Geneva and Astana. The next round of talks on Syria will take place in Astana in mid-September.
