The French President Emmanuel Macron wants to organize a conference for the return of refugees to Syria. The head of the French state wants to organize this conference in Lebanon, which currently has more than 1.2 million Syrian refugees, in the first quarter of 2018.
Following a meeting with Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri in Paris, Macron said Friday his proposal of a new international contact group on Syria would include Lebanon and other countries of the region that have received Syrian refugees, AFP reported.
Furthermore, Macron wants to organize a meeting of “investors” in Paris at the beginning of next year to help mobilize public and private financing for refugee-related projects. French President Emmanuel Macron said his country is pushing for a diplomatic initiative for peace building in Syria.
He also proposed a summit next year for the return of Syrian refugees to their country, a “key issue” for the stabilization of the region and said, “the Syrians who are currently living outside their country will have to play a major role in the future process of political transition in Syria.”
For his part, Lebanese PM Saad Hariri told the French “Le Monde” newspaper that “Assad must leave,” adding that “the refugees will not return while the regime is in place.”
To conclude, it is important to note that the UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura said during a brief interview to BBC Radio 4’s Today program: “What we are seeing is the beginning of the end of the war… what we need to make sure is that this becomes also the beginning of peace, and that is where the challenge starts at this very moment.”
During the Adha Holiday, international calls were made to Moscow, London, and Paris- by Syrians to strike a “comprehensive deal that allows the return of refugees and prevents the re-emergence of extremism.” Le Monde newspaper reported.
Hala Hayek Najjar
