President Al-Assad receives Russian delegation headed by Lavrentiev
DAMASCUS, Nov 17, (ST)- President Bashar Al-Assad received on Wednesday Russian delegation headed by the Russian President’ Special Envoy to Syria Alexander Lavrentiev, who is taking part in the meetings being held in Damascus by the joint Syrian-Russian Coordination Commissions on the return of refugees and displaced people.
The two sides praised the positive results achieved on the ground as a result of active and effective work and the joint efforts of Syria and Russia to ensure suitable circumstances for the continuity of the return of refugees to their cities and villages and to accelerate the processes of national reconciliation.
The asserted the importance of the bilateral agreements and memorandums of understanding being signed on the sidelines of the joint meetings of the Syrian-Russian Coordination Commissions.
The president referred to the importance of the positive steps being taken by Russia on the ground to help the people of Syria to overcome the impacts of the terror war and the unjust sanctions imposed on them.
He also pointed out to Russia’s firm and principled stances and its support for Syrians to defend their homeland and the sovereignty of their territories.
For his part, Lavrentiev said that the meetings between the Russian and Syrian sides will continue at all levels with the aim of implementing the recommendations and signed agreements and intensifying cooperation between public institutes in the two countries.
He underscored that the goal of the joint meeting is not only to facilitate the return of the Syrian refugees but also to help improve the general situation in Syria and to cement ties between the two countries and their friendly peoples.
The joint efforts of the Syrian and Russian coordination commissions have led to the return of over 1.372.000 displaced people inside Syria to their houses and over 947.000 Syrian refugees to the homeland, Head of the Syrian-Russian Coordination Center for the Return of Refugees Colonel General Mikhail Mizintsev declared yesterday.
The International Conference on Return of Syrian Refugees that was held in November 2020 called on the international community to provide appropriate support in order to provide housing for the displaced people and their return to normal life and increase its contribution and support to Syria through carrying out projects related to reconstruction, including basic infrastructure facilities such as water and electricity plants, schools, hospitals, health and medical care, social services, and demining.
Basma Qaddour