Berri Proposes 'Group 5+2' for Resolving Syrian Crisis
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri suggested that a bloc of countries could be established to work out a political solution to the Syrian crisis.
“We were among the first to call for a political solution to the crisis in Syria,” Berri said on Tuesday while speaking at the opening session of the 9th Islamic Inter-Parliamentary Union (IIPU) conference here in Tehran.
“Given that the Group 5+1 has opened up a way for (resolving the Iranian) nuclear issue, we think that establishment of a group 5+2 made up of Russia, the US, Islamic Republic of Iran, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Turkey, China, European Union and the Syrian sides could help find a way to … prevent (further) bloodshed in Syria.”
He was referring to the talks between Iran and the G5+1 (the US, Russia, China, Britain, France as well as Germany). Starting Tuesday morning, the latest round of negotiations are being held in Vienna roughly three months after the two sides signed an interim six-month deal on Tehran’s nuclear program in the Swiss city of Geneva on November 24, 2013.
Berri said entering the path of negotiations is the correct option that paves the way for resolving political issues.
Lebanon’s parliament speaker further referred to the Palestinian issue, terrorism and freeing the Middle East from nuclear weapons as some of the major issues the IIUP conference should reflect on.
The ninth IIPU conference was officially launched in a ceremony on Tuesday. Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani was the keynote speaker at the ceremony.
Parliamentary delegations from more than 40 countries are attending the international meeting.
The IIPU was established in 1999 based on an initiative by Iran. It seeks to strengthen the parliamentary cooperation among the Islamic countries in order to solve the challenges facing the Islamic world.
