Tehran, Jan 21
Iran will not participate in the Geneva-II conference on the Syrian crisis because of the US's irrational insistence on setting conditions for it, Iran's deputy foreign minister said Tuesday.
Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister for Arab and African Affairs Hossein Amirabdollahian said despite Iran's readiness for unconditional participation in the conference, which is aimed at finding a political solution to the Syrian crisis, the US insisted on setting preconditions for the country, the official IRNA news agency reported.
Meanwhile, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon decided the upcoming meet would proceed without Iran despite his earlier invitation to it.
A turmoil erupted after Iran, which earlier backed Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, was invited to the meeting. The main Syrian opposition group, which had earlier decided to participate, threatened to pull out of the conference shortly after Iran confirmed about its participation in the meeting.
Geneva II is an international conference to find a political solution to the conflict in Syria and is set to begin in the city of Montreux in Switzerland Jan 22.
By:IANS