Syrian-Russian Coordination committees’ meeting… Makhlouf: We encourage refugees to return home

Damascus, SANA- The opening session the joint meeting of the Syrian –Russian ministerial coordination committees on the return of Syrian refugees kicked off on Tuesday at the Conference palace in Damascus. The meeting was held in the presence of representatives of the UN, International Committee of the Red Cross and other humanitarian organizations within the framework of the Syrian-Russian joint meeting to follow up work of the International Conference on the Return of Syrian refugees. “The International Conference on Return of Syrian refugees which was held last year, produced important results that form platform of action for the two Syrian-Russian ministerial coordination committees which are being following up by a joint teamwork upon the directions of the Syrian President, Bashar al-Assad and Russian President Vladimir Putin” Eng. Hussein Makhlouf, Minister of Local Administration and Environment said in a speech during the session. The Minister added that the bilateral Syrian-Russian meetings are being held among the different Ministries and bodies serve the common cooperation with the aim of supporting the return of Syrian refugees and secure their stability in their villages and cities. “Thanks to the Syrian state’s efforts with the support of the friends, hundreds of thousands of Syrians have returned their homes, Makhlouf affirmed. He noted that the Syrian state provided the supportive environment for the return of the Syrian refugees secure their stability in their villages and cities through issuing legislations and the required logistic structures. The work is underway to rehabilitate the infrastructures in all areas which had been liberated by the Syrian Arab Army from terrorism, he noted. Makhlouf went on to say that the work is underway to secure the return of the displaced to their homes in Bassima , Ayn al-Khadara and al-hajar al-Aswad in Damascus countryside , Morek, Kafr Zeita, Lataminah, Ltamin, Maardas, and al-Zaraa in Hama province, and some northern villages in Lattakia. He added that the Syrian state continues providing the necessary health, educational and nutritional requirements for the displaced, but the Syrian citizens held in al-Houl and Rukban Camps face all forms of deprivation and humiliation by the US occupation and its mercenaries. He pointed out the efforts made by the Syrian Arab Army, backed by Russia to settle the status of over 2,0000 citizens in Daraa, Deir Ezzor, Hasaka, Quneitra and other provinces.