Senior Iranian MP:

Durable Ceasefire in Syria Prerequisite to Political Talks

Rasa - A senior member of the Iranian parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Commission underlined the importance of safeguarding the ceasefire in Syria, saying that durable truce is a prerequisite to political negotiations. "The Islamic Republic's policy

News ID: 426713

Date: 21 January 2017 - 23:45

RNA - "The Islamic Republic's policy has long been based on the fact that ceasefire and driving the terrorists out of Syria is a prerequisite to political negotiations, reforms and elections; this is a correct policy which needs to be pursued," Heshmatollah Falahatpisheh said on Saturday.

He said diplomacy is an extension of battlefield realities, meaning that field developments are the basis for diplomatic talks, "and if diplomacy moves as an extension of the battlefield realities, the (Syria) talks will be fruitful".

Iranian officials have on several occasions warned of the possibility of terrorists' misusing the ceasefire in Syria.

In relevant remarks last Tuesday, Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Ali Shamkhani underlined that the terrorist groups and their supporters shouldn’t be allowed to use the ceasefire in Syria as an opportunity to recruit.

"The enemies in Syria shouldn’t be allowed to use the ceasefire and political negotiations as a tactic for the recruitment and arms and financial revival of the terrorist groups and their regrouping for operation," Shamkhani said in a meeting with Syrian Prime Minister Imad Khamis in Tehran.

He underscored the necessity for continued fight against terrorism and the need for separating this front from the militants who believe in the political processes, and said, "Unfortunately, the western states and the US impose sanctions against the Syrian officials and the resistance front instead of fighting against the terrorists who threaten their national security too which shows their double-standard approach on terrorism."

Shamkhani also stressed that all-out efforts should be made for the liberation of the regions still under the terrorists' occupation in Syria concurrent with pursuing Syrian-Syrian talks for national reconciliation.

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