Swiss Contribution to Meeting Humanitarian Needs in Syria Discussed

 DAMASCUS, (ST)-Faysal al-Mikdad, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, and Ambassador Manuel Bessler, Member of the Swiss Federal Council and Head of the Swiss Humanitarian Aid Unit of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, on Tuesday discussed humanitarian cooperation between Syria and Switzerland, particularly the Swiss contribution to meeting the humanitarian needs in Syria under the crisis.

 During the meeting, al-Mikdad conveyed to ambassador Bessler the Syrian government’s gratitude for the assistance provided by Switzerland in the humanitarian area, particularly the 12 fully-equipped ambulances provided by  the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation to the Syrian Arab Red Crescent to be used in providing medical aid to civilian victims of the armed groups’ terrorist acts in Aleppo and other Syrian provinces.

Al-Mikdad hoped that more coordination will be made between Syria and Switzerland in different domains.

Bessler, on his part, expressed the Swiss government’s willing to provide humanitarian assistance to the Syrian people as to alleviate the suffering of the Syrians because of the ongoing crisis. He also hoped that the two countries will enhance contacts and coordination.

 The meeting was attended by Onfwan al-Naeb, Director of the International Organizations and Conferences at the Syrian Foreign Ministry, Thomas Ortil, Head of the Middle East and North Africa Department of the  Humanitarian aid Unit at the Swiss Foreign Ministry and Manuel Eter, the Regional Director of the Swiss Humanitarian Assistance office.

Following the meeting, al-Mikdad told reporters that talks dealt with issues of common interest with focus on the humanitarian aid that Switzerland can provide to the Syrians and on the facilitations the Syrian government can provide to deliver aid to those who need. 

He said the Syrian Arab Army has achieved remarkable progress in Aleppo, thereby  allowing the international community to deliver aid to all areas in the city.

The deputy minister pointed out that without the Turkish and Saudi support, the terrorist organizations wouldn’t have been able to stay in Aleppo and target innocent people in residential areas.

“Syria’s friendly countries and allied forces have declared that they are fighting alongside the Syrian Arab Army in its battle against the terrorism of ISIS, Jabhat al-Nusra and other terrorist groups,” al-Mikdad affirmed.

He noted that any political solution to the crisis in Syria should be made by the Syrians themselves through Syria-Syrian dialogue without foreign interference.

On his part, Bessler affirmed that his country backs the Syrians and it intends to work hard as to provide humanitarian assistance to the Syrian people and to enhance cooperation with the Syrian government.

“Yesterday, we took the first step in one of two projects we plan to implement in future,” Bessler said with reference to the delivery of the 12 ambulances provided by the Swiss side to the Syrian Red Crescent on Monday, hoping for more humanitarian cooperation with the Syrian government and the Red Crescent.

Hamda Mustafa