Disagreements on Syria should not affect Iran's ties with neighbors

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast said that disagreements on the Syrian crisis should not influence Iran's relationship with neighboring countries, Tehran Times daily reported Sunday. "The expansion of ties with the regional countries, especially our neighbors, is among the top priorities of our foreign policy, and we do our best to take advantage of high potentials that exist for cooperation between us and the neighboring countries," Mehmanparast was quoted as saying on Saturday. Instability in one country can spill over into all neighboring countries, he said, adding that regional states, rather than foreign forces, should cooperate to create a stable and calm region. Mehmanparast reiterated that the best way to defend the Syrian people's rights is to help end the violence in the Arab state. Iran, as a sole regional ally for the Syrian government, is at odds with Turkey and a number of Persian Gulf states over Syria's crisis.