Majlis Speaker Ali Larijani reiterated the Islamic Republic's backing for the Russian air campaign against militants fighting the Syrian government.
"The Islamic Republic of Iran supports Russia's role in the anti-terror fight because Russia launched its campaign based on a realistic approach and on a request by the Syrian government," the senior lawmaker said on Wednesday at Tehran's Mehrabad International Airport before leaving for Russia to attend the 12th Annual Meeting of the Valdai Discussion Club in Sochi (October 19-22), IRNA reported. In view of the ongoing crises in the Middle East, the ways to improve the situation in the region are among the main topics for discussion at the meeting, Larijani noted.
"Addressing the chaotic situation in the region demands convergence among and involvement of responsible countries."
"The meeting provides a suitable opportunity to make a clear analysis of the situation in the region and exchange views with other countries… as it is necessary that efforts be focused on the resolution of complicated regional issues."
The topic of this year's conference is "Societies Between War and Peace: Overcoming the Logic of Conflict in Tomorrow's World."
According to the official website of the forum, "The Annual Meeting of the Valdai Discussion Club serves to play a crucial role in the context of the world intellectual and political elite's demand for insight into the future of the system of international relations, for forecasting of key trends in the formation of the world order of the 21st century."
"Participants of the conference analyze the frequency and forms of the use of military force in the upcoming decades, as well as risks of a new great war. The issues raised will include the role of diplomacy, communications and economic interdependence in the modern world." The conference will be concluded by a plenary session entitled "Together Against Threats: Overcoming Strife for the Sake of General Progress." Moreover, several special sessions are to be held during the conference. In particular, one of them is dedicated to the situation in the Middle East. The Parliament speaker is scheduled to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the event.
