[caption id="attachment_21012" align="alignright" width="180"] Iran"s Deputy Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian[/caption]
A senior Iranian Foreign Ministry official says effective measures to stop the flow of foreign-sponsored militants into Syria will help the forthcoming Geneva II conference on the ongoing Syrian crisis to bear fruit.
The success of the Geneva II [conference] depends on the halt of certain partys support for the flow of terrorists and arms into Syria, Deputy Foreign Minister for Arab and African Affairs Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said in Tehran on Friday.
He described Syrian Prime Minister Wael al-Halqis visit to Tehran ahead of the Geneva peace talks as highly significant.
Amir-Abdollahian added that Halqi, who arrived in Tehran earlier in the day, seeks to exchange views on the formulation of a political roadmap for the Syrian crisis and the establishment of regional peace, stability and security during his stay in the Iranian capital.
He pointed to Syrias prominent role in the anti-Israel resistance front, praising the Syrian army units significant advances in the fight against anti-government militants.
The important point is that attempts were made over the past 30 months to eliminate Syria from the resistance movement or substantially weaken it through the flow of weapons and terrorists into the country, the Iranian deputy foreign minister stated.
He added, We are witnessing that the perseverance of the Syrian people, the Syrian Army and even the opposition supporting a political solution has resulted in great achievements, and most parties now believe that a political solution is the only viable way out of the Syrian crisis.
Amir-Abdollahian further noted that the Islamic Republic of Iran differentiates between opposition groups who support a political solution for Syria's future and foreign-backed militant groups operating inside Syria.
The top Iranian official said Tehran is holding consultations with regional allies as well as the Syrian government to work out a joint solution and help the coming Syrian-Syrian peace talks in Geneva to emerge fruitful.
On November 25, UN spokesman Martin Nesirky said UN-Arab League Special Envoy for Syria Lakhdar Brahimi had stated that Iran is certainly among the list of possible participants in the Geneva conference.
In a meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif in New York on October 2, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon also underscored Tehrans decisive role in the settlement of the crisis in Syria, stressing the need for Irans presence in any international talks on Syria.
Russia and China have also urged the presence of the Islamic Republic in the Geneva II conference.
The UN has set January 22, 2014 as the date for the peace talks.
Syria has been gripped by deadly unrest since 2011. Reports indicate that the Western powers and their regional allies -- especially Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey -- are supporting the militants operating inside the country.
According to the United Nations, more than 100,000 people have been killed and millions displaced in the violence.