Syria Can Only Assess Damage From War After Full Liberation - Minister

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 19th April, 2019) Syrian Minister of Economy and Foreign Trade Mohammad Samer Khalil said Thursday that it will be possible to talk about the damage the nation endured during the long and destructive civil war only once Syria fully liberates its lands.

"There is still no precise cost of damage suffered by Syria. All figures revealed earlier are approximate, because some lands in Syria have not been liberated yet," Khalil said, speaking on the sidelines of the Yalta International Economic Forum (YIEF) in Crimea.

The minister was asked about the amount of money needed to restore Syria to the pre-war level.

"When we completely liberate our territory, we will talk about precise figures," he stressed.

The minister previously voiced amounts such as $200 billion or even $400 billion need to rebuild Syria.

"This is considered an approximate figure," he stressed.

Syria has been torn by conflict for eight long years since 2011. In 2015 Russia launched a military operation to assist the Damascus government in its battle with Islamic State (terrorist group banned in Russia) and other armed groups. Two years later Syria finally announced victory over terrorists and now the focus has shifted to the political settlement, restoring the infrastructure and return of refugees. According to UN figures, some 5.6 million refugees fled to neighboring states and to Europe since the start of the conflict.