Syria's Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad addresses the 76th Session of the United Nations General Assembly, on Sept 27, 2021, at UN headquarters in New York.
(JOHN MINCHILLO / POOL / AFP)
DAMASCUS – Syria's Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad on Wednesday said that the Western sanctions imposed on Syria are preventing the return of Syrian refugees, according to the state news agency SANA.
The senior diplomat made the remarks during a press conference, where he also accused the Western countries of not wanting the return of refugees so they can use the refugees to exert pressure on Damascus.
Syria's Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad stressed that the Syrian government is exerting "tremendous efforts" to facilitate the return of refugees and is inviting them to return without conditions
"These countries are taking advantage of the pains of the Syrian refugees for their own political agendas," he said.
The minister stressed that the Syrian government is exerting "tremendous efforts" to facilitate the return of refugees and is inviting them to return without conditions.
"They don't even need an invitation because this is their country," he said, stressing that the Syrian government is providing all facilitations with the help of friendly countries to realize a volunteer and safe return for the refugees.
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According to a recent statement by UNICEF, the Syrian refugee issue remains the largest displacement crisis in the world, with 5.6 million registered refugees, including over 2.5 million children, living in Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, and Turkey.