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President Bashar al-Assad called on the United Nations and other international organizations on Wednesday to help Syria to restore Palmyra after government forces drove Islamic State militants out of the ancient city.

According to state news agency SANA, President Bashar al-Assad sent on Wednesday a letter to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon appreciating the latter’s welcoming of retaking Palmyra city from ISIS by the Syrian army and its allies.

The President called in his letter for the UN organizations and agencies concerned to put efforts to support the Syrian government in the restoration of the ancient city of Palmyra being a cultural icon classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, reads the statement.

To remind, the Syrian Army retook the historic city of Palmyra from Islamic State on Sunday, which had occupied it since last May. Russian warplanes were providing heavy support from the air.

The Western response to Sunday's recapture of Palmyra has been muted. While some governments have welcomed the setback for Islamic State, they are reluctant to celebrate any victory for a president whose departure many of them demanded five years ago, Reuters writes.