A joint meeting of the Syrian-Russian coordination ministerial bodies on the return of the displaced

The joint meeting of the two Syrian-Russian coordination ministerial bodies on the return of the displaced began today.

The meeting will be held via video technology at the Conferences Palace in Damascus and the National Defense Command Center of the Russian Federation in Moscow.

 The Minister of Local Administration and Environment, Eng. Hussein Makhlouf, said in a speech during the meeting: The meeting comes within the framework of following up joint efforts to secure the appropriate conditions for the return of the displaced Syrians to the homeland.

Minister Makhlouf added that the illegal sanctions imposed on Syria and the continuation of the US and Turkish occupation of parts of the Syrian land and the looting of its wealth and resources impede the return of the displaced Syrians.

Minister Makhlouf stressed that the return of the displaced Syrians is a priority for the state, which spares no effort in providing facilities for their return, foremost of which are the amnesty decrees and following up on the completion of the reconciliation file to allow those who wish to settle their situation.

In turn, Russian Deputy Defense Minister Gennady Zedko made it clear that rebuilding the Syrian economy and infrastructure is the main task in order to follow up what has been achieved in the field of combating terrorism, noting that the economic sanctions imposed by the United States and Western countries on Syria impede the return of the displaced people.

In his speech, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, Dr. Faisal Al-Miqdad, affirmed that Syria seeks to restore its sons and calls on them once again to return and contribute to the reconstruction process of what was destroyed by terrorism. He pointed out that there are Western countries that do not want the return of the displaced Syrians to their homeland and continue to obstruct that by all means.

“The Turkish regime continues to openly support terrorist organizations in Syria and has repeatedly cut off water to more than a million citizens in Hasakah,” Al-Miqdad said, stressing that “Syria will not surrender to those who conspired against it, and it continues to defend its sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity

In a video speech, the head of the Russian-Syrian Coordination Center for the Return of the Displaced, Mikhail Miznitsev, drew attention to the return of more than three million displaced Syrians and refugees after the Syrian state created the necessary conditions.

Mizentsev highlighted the  positive dynamics for the return of refugees, the return of all the necessities of life, the restoration of infrastructure, agriculture, restoration of roads, construction and services such as schools, hospitals and water.

Mizentsev stressed the need for the entire international community to join efforts and to involve international and human rights organizations in helping to secure the return of Syrian refugees to their homeland, expressing his thanks to the Syrian state for its hard work in combating terrorists.

The Russian official described the humanitarian situation in the al-Rukban camp, which is controlled by the US occupation forces and their terrorist mercenaries, as embarrassing and catastrophic, as the residents suffer from poverty and lack of food.

For her part, Maria Lvova Belova, the Russian President’s Commissioner for Children’s Rights, noted in her video speech that the Syrian state is continuing its efforts to return the displaced, as development projects are being implemented in the liberated areas.

Inas Abdulkareem