TEHRAN (FNA)- High-ranking Iranian, Syrian and Swiss officials in a meeting in Geneva discussed different ways to increase assistance and humanitarian aids to the war-hit people in Syria.


Iranian Foreign Ministry Director-General for Middle-East and North Africa Reza Ameri, Director-General of Swiss Foreign Ministry for Humanitarian Affairs Emmanuel Blur and Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister for International Affairs Hessamoddin Ala explored avenues for increasing humanitarian aids to the Syrian nation.

The sensitivity of the humanitarian conditions in Syria, the necessity for the technical handling of humanitarian issues, respect for Syria's national sovereignty and the necessity of coordination with the Syrian government and Red Crescent for sending humanitarian aids were among the issues underlined during the meeting.

The Swiss official, for his part, appreciated Iran for its efforts to send humanitarian aids to Syria, and underlined the necessity for taking practical steps to boost humanitarian aids in close cooperation with the Syrian government and officials.

Iran has sent several cargos of humanitarian aids to the Syrian people so far.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has underlined that the Islamic Republic would continue dispatch of its humanitarian aid to Syria.

“Under difficult living conditions of the Syrian people, the (Iranian) government will continue sending its humanitarian aid and assistance (to them) while condemning any hostile act against the regional countries, specially Syria,” President Rouhani said in July 2013.

In January, Iran's Red Crescent Society dispatched 3 cargoes of humanitarian aids to the Syrian refugee camps in Iraq, Jordan and Lebanon.

“To help the Syrians, three humanitarian aid cargos of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s Red Crescent Society have been sent to the Red Crescents of Jordan, Iraq and Lebanon via land routes to be distributed among the Syrian refugees residing in the three countries,” Director-General of IRCS’s Public Relations Office Vahid Rahmati said.

In August, Iran distributed another cargo of humanitarian aid supplies among Syrian and Palestinian civilians in Syria on the occasion of Eid al-Fitr marking the end of the holy month of Ramadan (ended August 8, 2013).

The aid cargo included foodstuff and medicine.

Iran dispatched its fourth consignment of humanitarian supplies, including medicines and medical equipment, to Syria in July 2013 in a bid to help people affected by the unrest in the Muslim country.

The Islamic Republic also sent several ambulances to Syria in August.

Iranian officials have repeatedly underlined that Tehran is in favor of negotiations between the Syrian government and opposition groups to create stability in the Middle Eastern country.

In November 2012, Iran hosted a meeting between the representatives of the Syrian government and opposition to encourage them to start talks to find a political solution to their problems. The National Dialogue Conference kicked off work in Tehran mid November with the motto of “No to Violence, Yes to Democracy".

The meeting brought together almost 200 representatives of various Syrian ethnicities, political groups, minorities, the opposition, and state officials.