Rouhani: Iran can facilitate other countries’ aid delivery to Syria

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani announced Tehran’s readiness to help other countries to deliver relief aid to the crisis-hit Syria. “Iran is ready to do its utmost to help other countries, especially the European ones, with the delivery of aid to Syria,” President Rouhani said in a meeting with his Swiss counterpart Didier Burkhalter in Davos, Switzerland, on Thursday. In July, President Rouhani 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 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). The aid cargo included foodstuff and medicine. Iran dispatched its fourth consignment of humanitarian supplies, including medicines and medical equipment, to Syria in July 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. Last November, 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.