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Some 2.5 million Syrian refugees back home thanks to efforts by Moscow, Damascus

The statement also says that since the devastating earthquake in February this year the Syrian state has been doing its utmost to deal with the consequences of the disaster

MOSCOW, May 12. /TASS/. About 2.5 million refugees in Syria have been able to return to their homes thanks to efforts by Syria and Russia, the inter-departmental coordination headquarters of Russia and Syria said in a joint statement on Friday.

"The inter-departmental coordination headquarters of Russia and Syria continue focused work to assist Syrian citizens in their voluntary and safe return to their home country and to create decent living conditions for them. Thanks to joint efforts by the Syrian and Russian sides, 2,435,508 Syrians have returned to their homes by now," the statement reads.

The Syrian state pays special attention to stimulating production in agriculture, industry and handicrafts. Those large businesses which support medium and small investment projects enjoy incentives.

The statement also says that since the devastating earthquake in February this year the Syrian state has been doing its utmost to deal with the consequences of the disaster. Benefits are granted to those harmed and concessional loans worth 200 million Syrian liras are extended to speed up the reconstruction of homes. On May 1, a decree was issued to establish a national fund to support earthquake survivors.

The statement was signed by Stanislav Gajimagomedov and Hussein Makhlouf, the heads of interdepartmental coordination headquarters of Russia and Syria.

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Foreign policy Syria

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