Larijani: EU Can Help Defuse Syria Crisis

Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani said the European Union can play a significant role in the settlement of Syrian crisis and the campaign against terrorism.

Larijani made the statement in a meeting with visiting Finnish President Sauli Niinisto in Tehran on Wednesday.

He said Iran supports political solutions to crises in the Middle East, including the conflict in Syria, while some extra-regional players as well as regional sponsors of terrorist groups sabotage diplomatic solutions by adopting wrong approaches, Press TV reported.

The top Iranian parliamentarian warned against the spillover of terrorism to other regions.

"Unfortunately, military intervention by outsiders in regional issues and the adoption of a military approach and double standards on terrorism" have led to a rise in the number of terrorist groups and contributed to their activities, Larijani said.

He blamed the "extremist and deviated" ideology of Wahhabism for the spread of terrorism in the region, stressing that neither Sunnis nor Shias support terrorist or extremist acts.

Larijani welcomed the expansion of ties between Tehran and Helsinki.

The Finnish official called for promotion of ties between his country and Iran. He expressed regret about terrorist attacks in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria, and the lack of a political will to end the conflicts.

Also on Wednesday, the Finnish president met Chairman of the Expediency Council Ayatollah Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani to discuss bilateral ties and regional developments.

In the meeting, Rafsanjani warned about threats posed by foreign recruits when they return to their own countries and the subsequent rise of terrorism across the world, and called on the international community to take measures to address the issue.

The senior Iranian official raised the alarm over the issue of "state terrorism" pursued by the Zionist Israeli regime.

Earlier in the day, Finland's president held talks with Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on developments in the Middle East and promotion of bilateral ties in different economic sectors, including banking.

Niinisto arrived in Tehran on Tuesday to hold talks with Iranian officials on a range of issues. He also met with the Leader of Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei and President Hassan Rouhani on Wednesday.