TEHRAN – Tehran believes that the Syrian crisis cannot be brought to a halt through foreign intervention, insisting on its four-stage plan as a best possible solution. 

Iranian Foreign Affairs Minister made the remarks in a joint press conference with his Norwegian counterpart Børge Brende in the capital Oslo on Monday. 
Zarif arrived in Norway on Monday to meet senior Norwegian officials. 
“While there is one military dimension to the Syrian crisis, it is only through political rather than military solutions that it can be halted,” Zarif was quoted as saying. 
By “political dimension” Zarif meant the need for an internationally military front to fight Daesh, aka ISIS and ISIL, expressing grave concerns the humanitarian disaster in the country.  

Iran has been stressing a political solution to the crisis in Syria and seeking ways to send humanitarian aids to the war-torn country since the beginning of the war in 2011. 

Iran has drawn up a four-point peace plan on the Syrian crisis, which calls for a national unity government, ceasefire, fighting terrorism and constitutional reforms in the violence-torn Arab nation, according to Press TV. 

Zarif says while there is one military dimension to the Syrian crisis, it is only through political rather than military solutions that it can be halted. 

Tehran urges stronger bilateral and international ties with Oslo 

Zarif also exchanged views with former Norwegian prime ministers Kjell Magne Bondevik and Kåre Willoch, where he called for expansion of bilateral and international ties between the two countries now that Iran is emerging from international sanctions. 

Also, the former Norwegian prime ministers referred to historical relations between the two countries, backing the positive trend in Iran’s foreign policy after the signing of the nuclear deal.

Zarif will be leaving Norway for Germany on Wednesday to meet German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier on June 15.

During his Norway stay, the Iranian foreign affairs minister will deliver a speech during the 2016 edition of the Oslo Forum on “settlement of regional conflicts” on Tuesday. 
The Oslo Forum is an annual international conference of armed conflict mediators and peace process actors.

Additionally, Zarif also held talks with Norway's parliament head, Olemic Thommessen. 
 
Also, slated are meetings with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and EU Foreign Policy Chief Federica Mogherini on the sidelines of the forum.
Earlier in June, he started a five-day tour to Finland, Sweden, Poland and Latvia.

AK/