Helping Syrian nation at center of Iran attention: Official

A top Iranian official says assistance to the strife-stricken Syrian people, fight against terrorism and a negotiated political settlement to the Syrian crisis are at the center of the Islamic Republic’s attention.
In a meeting with visiting Belgian Special Envoy for Syrian Affairs Marc Otte in Tehran on Sunday, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Arab and African Affairs Hossein Amir-Abdollahian briefed the European official on the volume of Iranian food and medical consignments dispatched for Syrians ever since the conflict broke out in the Arab country.
He also elaborated on Iran’s cooperation with some European states, including Switzerland, to help the needy people in various parts of Syria.
The Iranian diplomat also expressed hope that a mechanism for tripartite cooperation between Iran, Syria and Belgium be devised.
Otte, for his part, stated that the deteriorating living conditions of the Syrian nation and the methods of handing out humanitarian aid to vulnerable people are of serious concern to the Belgian government and people.
He further noted that through cooperation between Belgian and Iranian officials and non-governmental organizations (NGOs), the needs of Syrian people would be recognized and mechanisms necessary for assisting Syrians by the Iranian Red Crescent Society (IRCS), the Syrian Arab Red Crescent (SARC) and other European states would be drawn up.
Syria has been has gripped by deadly unrest since 2011. Over 130,000 people have reportedly been killed and millions displaced due to the unrest.
According to reports, the Western powers and their regional allies — Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Turkey — are supporting the militants operating inside Syria.