During a video call with Putin

The Syrian President: The return of refugees is a priority in the next phase

Assad is pinning his hopes on Russian efforts to lift the Western blockade.

EPA

The Syrian President, Bashar Al-Assad, said yesterday, during a video call with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, that the return of refugees who left the country due to the conflict in his country is a "priority" in the next stage, two days before a conference hosted by Damascus with the support of Moscow, To discuss the issue of returning them.

In the call transmitted by the Syrian presidential account on the social networking site "Facebook", Al-Assad addressed Putin, saying that "the refugee issue is priority number one during the next stage, especially after a large part of the territories have been liberated and the battlefield has receded, despite the continuing terrorism." ».

Damascus, with Russian support, is organizing, tomorrow and the day after, a conference on the return of refugees to their country, in which it is not clear yet who will participate.

However, neighboring Lebanon, which hosts about a million and a half million refugees, according to official estimates, will send the Minister of Social Affairs in the caretaker government, Ramzi Musharrafieh, as a representative.

The United Nations Resident Coordinator and the Humanitarian Coordinator for Syria, Imran Reda, will attend the conference as an "observer".

Al-Assad added, "The major obstacle to the return of refugees is the persistence of terrorism in some areas to which they are supposed to return, and the siege on Syria," referring to the sanctions imposed by Western countries on his country, led by the United States.

Al-Assad placed hopes on Russian efforts in terms of the possibility of easing, lifting or removing this blockade, explaining that "the return of refugees needs to secure the basic needs necessary for their livelihood, such as water, electricity and schools, in addition to moving the economy."

Since its outbreak in March 2011, the Syrian conflict has caused the displacement and displacement of more than half of the population inside and outside the country, among them more than five million and 500 thousand refugees, registered with the UNHCR.

The conference for the return of refugees begins in Damascus tomorrow, with Russian support.

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