ABIDJAN, Sept. 26  -- Cote d'Ivoire is set to resume flights to and from countries hit by the Ebola outbreak start from next week, a source from the presidency said on Thursday.

"We hope that as from next week, we shall resume air transport with our neighbours and we have authorised use of ports and airports to receive American contingents," President Alassane Ouattara said, as cited in an official note from a high level meeting held on Thursday in New York on Ebola outbreak that is spreading in West Africa.

The Cote d'Ivoire president is in New York where he is attending the 69th United Nations General Assembly.

To protect its population, Cote d'Ivoire decided to close its borders and suspend flights coming from or going to neighbouring countries hit by the Ebola epidemic, especially Guinea and Liberia.

"It's on the basis of the realization that Cote d'Ivoire was at a high risk that my government made that decision, and quickly implemented preventive measures proposed by the World Health Organization," Ouattara said to justify the government's move.

He recalled the country's facilitation of the humanitarian efforts as well as contribution of 1 million U.S. dollars to support anti-Ebola efforts by the Economic Community of West African States.

While appreciating the support from the international community for affected countries, Ouattara appealed for similar support to high risk countries like Cote d'Ivoire to avert uncontrollable contamination of the virus.

The Cote d'Ivoire president noted that Ebola was not a fatality, and could be defeated through science and solidarity between states.