Syria said Sunday it is ready to cooperate with a rare UN Security Council resolution to allow humanitarian access, so long as it respects "state sovereignty."

The foreign ministry also said in its statement that the "root causes" of the humanitarian crisis must be treated, singling out "foreign-backed terrorism" and sanctions placed on President Bashar al-Assad's regime by Western and Arab countries.

The UN Security Council, which has been sharply divided over the nearly three-year Syrian conflict, unanimously adopted Resolution 2139 on Saturday, calling for humanitarian aid convoys to be allowed access across the war-torn country.

According to the ministry statement, which was published by state news agency SANA, Damascus is "ready to cooperate with the UN Resident Coordinator and with international humanitarian organizations working in Syria, to agree on the implementation of Resolution 2139."

It said the resolution must be implemented "with respect for the principles laid out in the UN Charter, international law and the basic foundations of humanitarian work, especially state sovereignty and the role of the state, and principles of neutrality, transparency and non-politicized assistance."

Damascus said the resolution, which condemns terror attacks by Al Qaeda-linked organizations, was an "admission" by the Security Council of the presence of "extremist Al Qaeda-linked terrorism" in Syria.

It described the UN condemnation as "a step in the right direction."

But the statement also lashed out against sanctions imposed on Syria's regime as "harming the living conditions of Syrian citizens."

The UN Security Council resolution calls on "all parties to immediately lift the sieges of populated areas."

It demanded the immediate withdrawal from Syria of "all foreign fighters," while stressing that "terrorism in all its forms and manifestations constitutes one of the most serious threats to international peace and security."

The resolution called for an end to air strikes by the regime air force, and for all parties to "immediately cease all attacks against civilians."

It called on all sides, "in particular the Syrian authorities, [to] promptly allow rapid, safe and unhindered humanitarian access for UN humanitarian agencies and their implementing partners, including across conflict lines and across borders."

An earlier draft of the resolution had threatened sanctions should Syria fail to comply, but Russia refused and distributed a draft of its own, which included the language on "fighting terrorism" in Syria.

The resolution is the second Security Council decision since Syria's war began. It follows a decision ordering the destruction of Syria's chemical arsenal, after an August 21, 2013 chemical attack near Damascus killed hundreds of people.

AFP