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Conflict in Syria

Russian Foreign Ministry urges EU to assist returning Syrian refugees

Over the past few months, the Syrian army has won a string of major victories over IS extremists outside Damascus and in the south of the country, winning back most of its territory

© AP Photo/Lefteris Pitarakis

MOSCOW, August 15. /TASS/. The Russian Foreign Ministry has urged the leadership of the European Union to return Syrian refugees home, ministry’s representative Nikolai Burtsev told a session of the of the interdepartmental coordination headquarters supervising the return of refugees to Syria on Wednesday.

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Moscow blasts claims about Syrian refugees being in danger as ‘absurd’

"Russia’s Permanent Representative to the European Union Vladimir Chizhov said as he met with EU Commissioner for Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship [Dimitris] Avramopoulos that assistance to the Russian initiative for the return of Syrian refugees to their homeland would be objectively in the interests of the European Union,"Burtsev said.

Chizhov said the return of refugees meets the EU interests not only from the point of view of its image, but will also ease the political and financial burden, related to their staying not only in EU countries, but also in the neighboring with Syria countries, first of all Turkey, the diplomat said.

"He also pointed out that the use of funds allocated by the European Commission to accommodate and support this vulnerable category of the Syrian nationals could be more efficient if they were re-channeled into assistance in the return to Syria of those who have said they want to," Burtsev added.

Over the past few months, the Syrian army has won a string of major victories over IS extremists outside Damascus and in the south of the country, winning back most of its territory. The issue of returning refugees home has surfaced to the forefront after the Russian-US summit in Helsinki on July 16. The subject of bringing home the refugees was at the center of attention of Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Chief of General Staff Valery Gerasimov during their recent unannounced visits to Israel, Germany and France.

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Syrian conflict

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