Syrian Arab News Agency S A N A
Damascus, SANA-Prime Minister Wael al-Halaqi discussed on Wednesday with head of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) Peter Maurer means to enhance joint cooperation between both sides, particularly in providing humanitarian aid and addressing the file of the kidnapped by terrorist organizations.
Al-Halaqi affirmed the government’s keenness to cooperate with the international community and international organizations to fight terrorism and dry out its resources, pointing out to the need to rein in the countries which are supporting and funding terrorist organizations.
The Prime Minister stressed the government’s permanent readiness to cooperate with the ICRC to provide relief items to the Syrians who are affected by the unjust economic blockade imposed on them and to the citizens who have been subjected to repeated terrorist attacks, hailing the role of the ICRC and the Syrian Arab Red Crescent (SARC) in providing humanitarian aid to the Syrians.
Al-Halaqi said that the government is delivering relief aid and providing medical services and vaccines for all Syrian areas without exception and it had also set up makeshift centers for citizens who have been displaced from their areas due to the criminal acts of terrorist organizations.
He noted that the terrorist organizations are preventing citizens from leaving the areas under their control and stealing the humanitarian aid and re-selling it to citizens at exorbitant prices, not to mention their criminal acts against the besieged citizens.
For his part, Maurer said that cooperation between the Committee and the Syrian government is being reflected positively in the form of offering humanitarian aid to the Syrians, adding that the ICRC hopes to increase the volume of humanitarian aid to all Syrian areas.
In the same context, Deputy Prime Minister for Services Affairs, Local Administration Minister Omar Ghalawanji asserted Syrian government’s keenness to deliver humanitarian aid to the the terrorism-affected people wherever they were in the country.
Meeting Maurer and the accompanying delegation, Gahlawanji said that terrorist organizations are responsible for the Syrians’ suffering for intercepting more than once the aid convoys.
Ghalawanji asserted the importance of respecting Syria’s sovereignty in order to benefit from the ICRC abilities.
He also lauded the humanitarian efforts of the Syrian Arab Red Crescent (SARC) carried out in cooperation with the ICRC.
For his part, Maurer highlighted the importance of the work of the Local Administration Ministry and its support to the committee to success its work, hailing the keenness of the ICRC to perform its humanitarian duties in cooperation and coordination with Syrian government.
In a relevant context, Health Minister Nizar Yazigi discussed with Maurer the possibilities to promote cooperation between both sides to guarantee that health services are delivered to all citizens in all areas, mainly the hard-to-access areas and areas besieged by terrorist organizations.
Yazigi said that the ministry is working impartially to provide the necessary medical services to treat the wounded and sick people and provide medicines and medical equipment and health services to all areas in Syria and is working to enhance partnership with all bodies operating in the health sector in Syria, particularly ICRC.
In turn, Maurer said that the ICRC is interested in cooperation with medical aid to all Syrian areas.
Later, Interior Minister Mohammad al-Shaar said that Interior Ministry is fully cooperating with the humanitarian organizations and providing all facilitations for their work in the field of humanitarian aid.
During a meeting with Maurer and the accompanying delegation, both sides discussed the work of ICRC in Syria and the facilitations offered by the Interior Ministry to of the Committee to support it in doing its humanitarian duties on the Syrian lands.
In turn, Maurer thanked the Syrian government for speeding up the procedures related to the Commission’s work and providing facilitations for the success of its mission, including visiting prisons, stressing the importance of coordination with the Syrian government for the success of humanitarian operations in Syria.
Reem/Manar/Manal
