Tehran, Sep 9 (IANS): Iran is ready to talk with the US, Saudi Arabia and other influential countries to restore peace in Syria, Iran's President Hassan Rouhani said on Tuesday.
"Iran will attend any negotiation, the outcome of which could guarantee the security, stability and democratization of Syria. To this end, Iran will hold talks with any regional states and powers, " Rouhani said at a joint press conference with visiting Austrian President Heinz Fischer, Xinhua reported.
He said "what is of importance is the lives of the people and the return of the displaced ones. If this happens in Syria soon, it will be in the interest of the whole world."
The first priority about Syria is "to stop bloodshed and to establish relative security in the country," he said, adding that topics like democracy, elections and the model-government for the Arab state could be discussed next.
The people of Syria will be the sole determiners of the future of their country, of the political system and the government, through the national dialogue, he added.
"No foreign country and powers should decide the future of Syria," he stressed.
Visiting Austrian Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz also stressed the priority of fighting terrorism in Syria, saying that Iran, Russia and Syria's President Bashar al-Assad can help to this end.
"Fighting terrorism (in Syria) has a priority, which can be achieved by involving Russia, Iran and Assad" in the dialogue on the country, Kurz said.
Heinz Fischer, accompanied by Vice Chancellor Reinhold Mittelehner and Sebastian Kurz and a group of economic, cultural and academic delegation, arrived in Iran's capital Tehran on Monday for talks on the enhancement of mutual cooperation.
The Austrian president is the first European Union head of state to visit Iran since 2004.
A number of Western countries' officials have recently visited Tehran, on the back of the historic nuclear accord between Iran and the world powers on July 14 in Vienna, trying to boost ties in the aftermath of the lift sanctions against the country.