MOSCOW, November 25. /TASS/. The United States has capabilities to join an effort on solving the issue of Syrian refugees but Washington prefers to ignore and criticize Russian and Syrian efforts, Head of Russia’s National Defense Management Center Colonel General Mikhail Mizintsev said on Wednesday.

"Recognizing the important role of the United States and its capability to solve regional issues, Syria and Russia have offered the US side to use the Damascus platform with a high status and expert representation for taking part in a joint effort. The answer was no and there was unfounded criticism of those who are really contributing to returning Syrian citizens back home," the official told a joint meeting of military staff after an international conference on returning refugees to Syria.

According to him, the US leadership has once again demonstrated its hypocrisy and commitment to double standards. Washington’s rejection of humanitarian initiatives shows "a wish to keep the hotbeds of tension in the country as long as possible," in order to illegally stay there and siphon off natural resources, he noted.

The military official noted that more than 20 countries had taken part in the international conference, including the representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). "The results of this forum were highly appreciated by the respective structures of the United Nations, which called the conference a successful humanitarian event," Mizintsev said.