Russia Mulls Holding Another Conference On Syrian Refugees - Lavrov

Russia believes it is necessary to hold a second conference on the return of Syrian refugees, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Monday

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 22nd November, 2021) Russia believes it is necessary to hold a second conference on the return of Syrian refugees, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Monday.

"Now we are thinking about supporting the Syrian Arab Republic, Lebanon and other countries that have given shelter to refugees, and holding a second conference on this subject (the return of Syrian refugees), maybe in one of the countries where most of the Syrian refugees are now located," Lavrov said at a joint press conference after the meeting with his Lebanese counterpart, Abdallah Bouhabib.

If Beirut is interested, Moscow is ready to support it regarding the matter, Lavrov went on. Lebanon currently hosts over 500,000 Palestinian refugees and even more Syrian migrants, "a very heavy burden" for such a small country, the minister explained.

"And I hope that Western donors realize their responsibility as well," he added.

The first International Conference on the Return of Syrian Refugees was held in Damascus on November 11-12 of the last year.