According to the German government’s spokesperson, Merkel commended the Iranian president’s recent comments on the Syrian crisis and demanded that they be translated into action.

The German chancellor also hailed the policy of moderation pursued by the Iranian president.

Rouhani’s proposal was published in an op-ed in the US daily the Washington Post on Thursday, saying Tehran is ready to broker talks between the Syrian government and opposition.

“…I announce my government’s readiness to help facilitate dialog between the Syrian government and the opposition,” read the Iranian president’s op-ed piece.

Rouhani further called for collective efforts to pave the way for national dialog in regional countries, saying “We must join hands to constructively work toward national dialog, whether in Syria or Bahrain. We must create an atmosphere where peoples of the region can decide their own fates.”

Syria has been gripped by deadly unrest since March 2011.

A very large number of the militants operating inside Syria are reportedly foreign nationals. According to reports, the Western powers and their regional allies, especially Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey, are supporting the militants operating inside Syria.

In a recent statement, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees said the number of Syrian refugees, who have fled the country’s 29-month-long conflict, reached two million.

The UN refugee agency further said some 4.2 million people have also been displaced inside Syria since the beginning of the conflict in the Arab country.

HH/HH