Iranian, Swiss Diplomats Discuss Humanitarian Crisis in Syria

Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Arab and African Affairs Hossein Jaberi Ansari, who is on an official visit to Switzerland, held talks with senior officials of the Central European country on a range of issues, including ways to help resolve the five-year-old Syrian conflict.

Speaking in a Friday meeting with Head of the Swiss Humanitarian Aid Unit (SHA) Manuel Bessler in Geneva, Jaberi Ansari emphasized the necessity for paying attention to humanitarian aspect of the conflicts in the Middle East region, Syria in particular.

He further said by ignoring the political aspect of the Syrian conflict and the anti-terrorism campaign in the Arab country, the ongoing efforts to resolve the crisis would yield no result.

The Iranian diplomat also stressed the need for closer cooperation between Iran and Switzerland to help resolve humanitarian crisis in Syria.

Bessler, who is also Swiss deputy foreign minister, praised Tehran’s role in the formation of the upcoming trilateral talks among Iran, Syria and Switzerland aimed at facilitating the delivery of humanitarian assistance to the Syrian people.

Syria has been gripped by civil war since March 2011 with various terrorist groups, including Daesh (also known as ISIS or ISIL), currently controlling parts of it.

According to a report by the Syrian Center for Policy Research, the conflict has claimed the lives of over 470,000 people, injured 1.9 million others, and displaced nearly half of the country’s pre-war population of about 23 million within or beyond its borders.

In the meantime, Iran has remained a close ally of Syria and supports its legitimate government in the face of foreign-backed militancy.

IFP Media Wire

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