Focus Should be Made on Political Solution, Counter-Terrorism to Solve Crisis in Syria- Iran

TEHRAN – Iranian deputy Foreign Minister for Arab-African Affairs Hossein Jaberi Ansari stressed the importance of resolving humanitarian problems in Syria and the need for continued cooperation between Iran and Switzerland on the issue.

Jaberi Ansari who is paying an official visit to Switzerland to hold diplomatic talks on crisis in Syria, met and discussed with Swiss Foreign Ministry’s Director General for Humanitarian Affairs Emmanuel Blur on human dimensions of the crisis in Syria, late on Friday, according to Iranian Mehr news agency.

He noted the importance of the human tragedies happening in Syria, adding, “with no attention to both political and counter-terrorism dimensions of Syrian crisis, ongoing efforts to resolve the crisis in Syria will not lead to definitive conclusions.”

 Jaberi Ansari pointed to the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Yemen and stressed the need for Switzerland’s efforts to facilitate humanitarian assistance to the people of Yemen.

Deputy FM called humanitarian crisis in Syria and Yemen among the immediate priorities of the region and the world, saying, “unfortunately the humanitarian issue in the crisis in Syria is not seen from the political angle.”

Emmanuel Blur, for his part, described the misuse of humanitarian and political issues as the challenges of international humanitarian law.

Blur praised Iran’s key role in the formation of a trilateral meeting in Switzerland, Iran and Syria to facilitate humanitarian aid to Syria, and expressed his country’s readiness to strengthen cooperation on this issue.

At the end of the meeting the parties emphasized the new round of trilateral meeting of Iran, Switzerland and Syria in the near future, demanding facilitation of humanitarian aid to Syria.

H.M