MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 23rd December, 2020) Russia's active role in the Syrian refugee return effort helps build trust in the process by providing international guarantees, Dr. Assem Abi Ali, General Supervisor of the Lebanese Crisis Response Plan told Sputnik in an interview.
"...the Russian role, which will create an international guarantee, will increase the trust in the return process in general, and also build trust of the Syrian displaced in the process itself. We can invest in this Russian initiative to facilitate the return," Dr. Abi Ali told Sputnik over the phone.
The statement was made against the backdrop of the numerous Russian diplomatic efforts undertaken to facilitate the free, safe, and voluntary return of Syrian refugees to their homeland. Shortly upon its inception in 2018, this initiative was welcomed by top officials in Lebanon, a country that houses the largest number of refugees per capita in the world.
The latest step in these efforts was the International Conference on the Return of Refugees, held earlier in November in Damascus. Co-led by Russia and Syria, the conference was attended by delegates from a number of countries, including Lebanese Minister of Social Affairs.
