Iranian President Sheikh Hasan Rouhani stressed that the Syrian people should be allowed to decide their fate.

Iranian President Sheikh Hasan Rouhani stressed that the Syrian people should be allowed to decide their fate.

Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Rouhani said: “"The best solution is to organize free and fair elections inside Syria.”
"No outside party or power should decide for the Syrian people and Syria as a country."

Describing a conflict that has been raging for nearly three years as a "major catastrophe", Rouhani said Iran was deeply concerned by the influx of foreign fighters he described as "terrorists" into Syria.

"Millions of innocent people have been killed, maimed or made homeless - it is a miserable situation and very sad," Rouhani said.

"All of us should work together to push terrorists out of Syria and advise the countries who support them that this is not their own best interests - their next stop will be their own countries."

The Iranian leader’s remarks come as the international peace conference on Syria entered its second day.