Iranian, Pakistani presidents discuss Syria

During a telephone conversation on Sunday, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari held talks on bilateral cooperation and regional issues, including the Syrian crisis. Ahmadinejad said that a group should be established to contact the Syrian government and the opposition in order to help restore calm and peace in the crisis-hit country. In reference to the 16th Summit of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), which was held in Tehran from August 26 to 31, the Iranian president said that NAM is an independent movement and has enormous potential. He added, “But the organization and bodies needed to pursue and implement agreements have not been formed.” He also underlined the need for making the preparations necessary to implement the agreements made during the NAM summit in Tehran and hold a consultative meeting between the member states of the movement on the sidelines of the 67th Session of the United Nations General Assembly, which will open at the UN Headquarters in New York on September 18. The Pakistani president also called for the establishment of a group to contact the conflicting sides in Syria. Elsewhere in his remarks, Zardari praised Iran for its successful hosting of the NAM summit and called for the establishment of executive structures for the movement.