Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said on Tuesday that Damascus welcomes humanitarian operations carried by the International committee of the Red Cross in the country as long as it works independently and neutrally.

 Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said on Tuesday that Damascus welcomes humanitarian operations carried by the International committee of the Red Cross in the country as long as it works independently and neutrally.

President Assad’s remarks came as he received the Head of the ICRC Peter Maurer, state news agency, SANA, reported.
“Talks during the meeting dealt with the standing cooperation between the ICRC and the Syrian government and setting the appropriate mechanisms for enhancing this cooperation,” SANA added.

The agency said that Maurer expressed appreciation over the Syrian government's cooperation with the committee, hailing the bridge of confidence built between the two sides.

The meeting was attended by the Deputy Foreign and Expatriates Minister Dr. Fayssal Miqdad, Director of Organizations Department at the Foreign and Expatriates Ministry Hussam-Eddin Ala and Head of the Syrian Arab Red Crescent Abdul Rahman al-Attar.

For his part, Miqdad stressed the Syrian government's commitment to facilitating the mission of the International Committee and providing all means to carry out its activities in line with principles regulating its work, particularly neutrality, independence and achieving its humanitarian goals.

As they reviewed means of enhancing the standing cooperation between the two sides, Miqdad and Maurer said they should overcome obstacles facing the ICRC humanitarian operations in Syria.

The two sides agreed on certain coordination mechanisms to activate the humanitarian activities to cope with humanitarian needs of the Syrian citizens, state news agency added.