Foreign Minister Faisal Al-Mekdad thanked Thursday South Africa for its support to the Syrian people during the war years and for its humanitarian assistance to overcome the devastating aftermath of February's earthquake.

Damascus.- The FM expressed such a stance by the time he welcomed a South African delegation, in the presence of the South African Ambassador to Damascus Barry Philip Gilder.

Syrians are proud of their historical relations and the existing cooperation between the two countries in several fields, Al-Mekdad said.

The diplomat condemned the war as aimed at weakening national capabilities and destroying the country’s infrastructure.

He referred to the inhumane and immoral impact of the unilateral coercive measures imposed on Syria as they obstruct the delivery of humanitarian aid and prevent both recovering and meeting the needs to alleviate the suffering of its people.

Meanwhile, Ambassador Gilder indicated that Pretoria does not believe in the sanctions imposed on Syria, and reiterated the steady position of supporting this nation in the face of terrorism. (PL)