The West's collective opposition to the conference on return of Syrian refugees and the pressure they put to bear on other countries are "unjustified," Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad told Sputnik
DAMASCUS (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 13th November, 2020) The West's collective opposition to the conference on return of Syrian refugees and the pressure they put to bear on other countries are "unjustified," Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad told Sputnik.
"Their goal was to undermine the success of this conference and there was no justification at all to oppose a conference conducted on humanitarian grounds, same as those that the UN undertakes 24 hours a day, and 365 days a year," Mekdad said.
Held on 11 and 12 November in Damascus, the International Conference on the Return of Refugees aimed to relay information about the situation in Syria to the global audience, in addition to discussing the challenges faced by Syrian authorities in reconstructing the country and returning refugees to their homeland.
The conference was faced a degree of controversy in the West, as both the US and EU called for its boycott, with officials from both countries citing the absence of a political solution and presumed human rights concerns for the fate of the returning refugees, including forced repatriation and punitive measures upon their arrival.
These fears were addressed by a number of speakers throughout the course of the conference, with Mekdad adding that any returns should take place in a dignified and free manner without any repercussions for the returnees.
The same message was reiterated by other contributors, including Russian Special Presidential Envoy for Syria Alexander Lavrentyev, who on numerous occasions specified that all refugees should return freely, safely, and voluntarily.
