US Urges UN To Forego Int'l Conference On Syrian Refugees Return Next Month - Envoy

US Urges UN to Forego Int'l Conference on Syrian Refugees Return Next Month - Envoy

The United States is calling on the United Nations and on countries to refuse to attend the international conference on the Syrian refugees' return in Damascus next month, Deputy Ambassador to the United Nations Richard Mills said on Monday

UNITED NATIONS (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 27th October, 2020) The United States is calling on the United Nations and on countries to refuse to attend the international conference on the Syrian refugees' return in Damascus next month, Deputy Ambassador to the United Nations Richard Mills said on Monday.

"Quite frankly, the US government does not believe that the Russian military is a credible host for convening a meaningful discussion on a return of refugees," Mills told the UN Security Council. "For these reasons the United States will not attend the conference. We strongly urge the United Nations and all others to forego attendance as well at this conference."

On Thursday, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said the Syrian authorities planned to hold the conference November 11-12 in Damascus with Russia as a co-organizer.

Mills said the United States strongly believes the conference is counterproductive and totally inappropriate for any military organization to manage refugee returns in Syria, Russia or elsewhere.

"The conference does not address in any way the root causes of the conflict that created millions of refugees in Syria. The conference aims to discuss refugee returns, which is completely premature," Mills said.

The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) spokeswoman Rula Amin told Sputnik that UNHCR believes the success of the international conference on the Syrian refugees' return will depend on its appropriate timing.

Amin said UNHCR remains engaged with the Syrian government and host governments across the region in an effort to find a long-lasting solution "including to gradually address issues that refugees tell us are of concern in the context of their decision-making on potential future return to Syria."

Zakharova, the Syrian government has sent invitations to a wide range of countries and international organizations, adding that Russia sees the event as a platform for substantive discussions for a wide range of issues related to refugees' return.

UNHCR has received an invitation to attend the conference, but has not responded yet.