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UN / IRAN SYRIA

Iranian Ambassador Mohammad Khazaee told reporters today that countries refusing to invite Iran to the Action Group meeting on Syria in Geneva on Saturday was "their problem", since Iran's exclusion was "neglecting realities on the ground". UNTV
U120627e
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Description

STORY: UN / IRAN SYRIA
TRT: 1.27
SOURCE: UNTV
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS

DATELINE: 27 JUNE 2012, NEW YORK CITY / FILE

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Shotlist

FILE – 2011, NEW YORK CITY

1. Wide shot, exterior United Nations headquarters

27 JUNE 2012, NEW YORK

2. Wide shot, Iranian Ambassador Mohammad Khazaee walking up to the microphone

FILE – RECENT, NEW YORK CITY

3. Cutaway, hands taking notes

27 JUNE 2012, NEW YORK

4. SOUNDBITE (English) Mohammad Khazaee, Permanent Representative of Iran to the United Nations:
“A very important fact that cannot be ignored by anybody is the influence and constructive role that the Islamic Republic of Iran has in the region. So if some powers do not want to benefit from this influence and constructive role, that’s their problem. And this is another indication of their actually neglecting the realities on the ground.”

FILE – RECENT, NEW YORK CITY

5. Cutaway, hands taking notes

27 JUNE 2012, NEW YORK

6. SOUNDBITE (English) Mohammad Khazaee, Permanent Representative of Iran to the United Nations:
“As you know from the beginning we have supported Mr. Kofi Annan’s plan and we believe that that’s the best way to resolve the issues in Syria. So any kind of consultation by Kofi Annan with the Islamic Republic of Iran is welcomed anytime.”

FILE – RECENT, NEW YORK CITY

7. Cutaway, hands taking notes

27 JUNE 2012, NEW YORK

8. SOUNDBITE (English) Mohammad Khazaee, Permanent Representative of Iran to the United Nations:
“Reform should take place in Syria, some good steps have been so far taken. So therefore the solution is not to support financially or militarily different groups inside Syria and escalate the level in violence in Syria.”

FILE – RECENT, NEW YORK CITY

9. Cutaway, hands taking notes

27 JUNE 2012, NEW YORK

10. Wide shot, Khazee leaving stakeout area

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Storyline

Iranian Ambassador Mohammad Khazaee told reporters at UN headquarters today (27 June) that his country’s exclusion from the upcoming Action Group meeting on Syria neglected “realities on the ground”.

Earlier in the day, the Joint Special Envoy of the United Nations and the League of Arab States on the Syrian Crisis, Kofi Annan announced that the Action Group for Syria will convene in Geneva at the ministerial level this Saturday, 30 June.

Iran, along with Saudi Arabia, was not among the countries invited to the meeting, despite calls for them to participate because of their influence on Syria.

Speaking to the press outside Security Council chambers in New York, Ambassador Khazaee said that if countries declined to benefit from Iran’s “influence and constructive role” in the region, “that’s their problem”.

Asked if he was satisfied with the prospect of being consulted after the main meeting had taken place, Khazaee responded that his country believed Kofi Annan’s six-point plan was “the best way to resolve the issues in Syria”, and that “any kind of consultation by Kofi Annan with the Islamic Republic of Iran is welcomed anytime”.

The Ambassador also said that one of the main reasons for the escalating violence in Syria was foreign backing of opposition groups. He urged instead to support reform in Syria, where “some good steps have been so far taken”.

Invitations to the Action Group meeting have gone out to the foreign ministers of the five permanent members of the Security Council – China, France, the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom and the United States of America – and Turkey.

In addition, invitations were sent to the Secretaries-General of the United Nations and the League of Arab States, Ban Ki-moon and Nabil Elaraby, respectively, and to the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy; as well as to the Foreign Ministers of Iraq, as Chair of the Summit of the League of Arab States; Kuwait, as Chair of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the League of Arab States and Qatar, as Chair of the Follow-up Committee on Syria of the League of Arab States.

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