MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 20th February, 2019) Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov and Amal Abou Zeid, advisor to the Lebanese president, discussed coordination between Moscow and Beirut in creating favorable conditions for the return of Syrian refugees to their homeland, the Russian Foreign Ministry said Tuesday.
"During the conversation, a detailed exchange of views took place on the development of the situation in Lebanon and in the middle East region as a whole. The prospects for further coordination between Moscow and Beirut in the promotion of favorable conditions for accelerating the process of return of Syrian refugees were reviewed," the ministry's statement reads.
Bogdanov also expressed Russia's principled position in support of the sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity of Lebanon.
As the Syrian government has regained control over most of the country's territories that were seized by terrorists, it is now focused on creating favorable conditions for repatriating refugees. Moscow is assisting Damascus in this process, along with providing humanitarian aid to civilians and being a guarantor of the ceasefire.
Lebanon, with its population of 4 million, has been hosting nearly 950,000 officially registered Syrian refugees, according to UN figures. Various other sources have suggested that, in reality, the number of Syrian refugees in Lebanon could be as high as 1.5 million.
