Ilgın Karlıdağ
16 February 2016•Update: 16 February 2016
BRUSSELS
Iran has called for a cease-fire in Syria noting that the war-torn country’s citizens should dictate the terms for a political dialogue, not other countries in the region.
Speaking at the European Parliament in Brussels on Tuesday, Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif said: "What is necessary in Syria is to allow for a cease-fire, to allow for a political dialogue to take place between the people of Syria."
"The negotiations will be determined by Syrians inside the negotiating room, not the capitals of the region, particularly in Riyadh," Zarif said. "They will not make the decision for the people of Syria, they cannot make the decision for the people of Syria."
Last week, top diplomats from the International Syria Support Group meeting in Munich agreed to work toward a temporary “cessation of hostilities” and securing deliveries of humanitarian aid to besieged towns and villages.
Zarif’s comments at the European Parliament came one day after Doctors Without Borders (MSF) blamed Iran’s ally in Syria, Russia, for bombing a hospital it supported in the northwestern part of the country, killing seven people.
