Russian Diplomat Says EU Creating Political Obstacles For Syrian Refugee Repatriation

The EU countries are creating political obstacles for the process of returning Syrian refugees to their homeland, representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry Nikolai Burtsev said on Thursday.

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 20th September, 2018) The EU countries are creating political obstacles for the process of returning Syrian refugees to their homeland, representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry Nikolai Burtsev said on Thursday.

"Our initiative to organize international assistance for the return of [Syrian] refugees is encountering the common EU policy of setting various political conditions," Burtsev said.

He pointed out that the Turkish authorities were actively promoting Syrian repatriation, in particular, to the areas controlled by Turkish troops.

"Our work is underway, including on the UN platform, and is aimed at activating international financing for the reconstruction of Syrian infrastructure, which is necessary for guaranteeing the mass return of Syrians to their homeland," Burtsev said.

He added that the international conference on Syrian refugees was being prepared.

Syria has been torn apart by civil war since 2011, with the government fighting numerous opposition groups and terrorist organizations. Russia is assisting the country in returning to peace, being a guarantor of the ceasefire regime and having announced in late July the creation of a refugee center in Syria that would receive, relocate and accommodate civilians returning home.