(11 Dec 2013) Iranian and Russian diplomats held talks in Tehran on Wednesday and later reiterated that there is no military solution to the ongoing conflict in Syria.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov met with President Hassan Rouhani and also held talks with his Iranian counterpart, Mohammad Javad Zarif.
The two foreign ministers discussed Iran's nuclear negotiations, the ongoing crisis in Syria, and the demarcation of the Caspian Sea.
At a news conference following the talks, Lavrov said that Moscow is "naturally worried" about the situation in Syria and wants to see an end to the bloodshed.
He said Russia wanted "Syrians themselves, without interference from outside, to come to an agreement on the future of their country, which should remain territorially integral, sovereign, independent, in which all ethnic, confessional and other groups should feel equal."
Zarif, meanwhile, said that Iran and Russia both agree that there is no military solution to the crisis in Syria.
Lavrov then warned that other countries should do everything possible to ensure that the Geneva II conference - scheduled for 22 January 2014 - succeeds.
"The dates for the conference have already been announced, and attempts to thwart this meeting will grossly violate the will of the international community," he said.
He insisted that Iran is "capable of having a positive influence on what is happening in Syria" but reiterated that "only Syrians themselves can determine the fate of their country".
"External players should be encouraging them to do so, rather than trying to impose on them some schemes that will not be viable," Lavrov said.
Zarif thanked Russia for the role it played during recent talks with world powers that lead to an interim nuclear deal in Geneva last month.
The deal was struck between Iran and the P5+1 (five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council plus Germany).
Iran agreed to freeze parts of its nuclear programme in return for the easing of Western sanctions.
The sanctions expected to be lifted include those affecting Iran's auto industry, its petrochemical exports, the sale of gold and other precious metals and the supply of spare parts for Iranian airplanes.
Zarif told reporters that he and Lavrov had also discussed "the expansion of cooperation in the field of nuclear reactors and power plants", adding that in some respects they were "very close to agreement and practical measures".

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