TEHRAN – The Iranian deputy foreign minister for Arab and African affairs has said the planned meeting of the Syrian opposition groups in Saudi Arabia goes against the Vienna statement.

Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said such reckless measures are evaluated as counterproductive, IRNA reported on Monday.

“Based on the Vienna declaration, Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Syria Staffan de Mistura is responsible to act with pervasive consultation to determine the list of Syrian opposition groups,” Amir-Abdollahian said, underlining that Tehran rejects any act out of the joint statement.

He said throughout the past five years, Saudi Arabia has failed to play a constructive role in resolving the Syrian crisis.

The armed Syrian opposition groups are invited to a meeting in Riyadh next month to make what Saudi Arabia has termed a “unified front” ahead of the next Vienna talks.

SP/P