Al-Moallem Renews Government’s Call on Syrian Refugees to Return Home

DAMASCUS, (ST)-Deputy Premier, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Walid al-Moallem on Monday met the UN Higher Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi and the accompanying delegation.

The two sides discussed cooperation between the Syrian government and the UNHCR in addition to Syria’s efforts to improve the living condition of all Syrian citizens particularly the displaced Syrians.

Al-Moallem said the government accords special importance to the ongoing reconciliation process in different Syrian areas and to the process of reconstruction and building the houses destroyed by terrorist attacks as to help the displaced People return.

 He hailed the UNHCR’s efforts and cooperation with the Syrian government in the area of providing humanitarian assistance to the Syrian citizens.

He stressed the need not to politicize humanitarian aid and not to adopt discrimination when distributing this aid as to serve political agenda that has nothing to do with the humanitarian aspect.

Al-Maollem renewed the Syrian government’s call on the Syrian refugees in neighboring countries to return home, expressing the government’s readiness to meet their requirements.

On his part, Grandi reviewed the efforts being exerted by the commission to assist the refugees and the displaced in cooperation  and coordination with the Syrian government.

Grandi affirmed the commission’s willingness to continue cooperation in providing humanitarian aid, hailing the Syrian government’s efforts in this regard.

Concerning media reports on what is called “safe zones”, Grandi said the Syrian government and the UNHCR have identical viewpoint on this issue, stressing that “any attempt to do this without coordination with the Syrian government would be unsafe and would violate the Syrian sovereignty.”

Earlier, the Syrian government and the UNHCR signed a cooperation agreement by means of which the commission provides technical support for the Administration of Civil Affairs of the Syrian Interior Ministry.

The agreement was signed for Syria by Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Faysal al-Mikdad and by Sajad Malek the director of the Commission’s  Office for UNHCR.

Hamda Mustafa