Foreign Minister: Iraq hosts nearly 260,000 Syrian citizens

Baghdad-INA
 
Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein affirmed on Tuesday, the necessity to take serious measures in order to address the Syrian crises, pointing out that Iraq hosts nearly 260 thousands registered citizens.
 
 
Hussein said in a speech he delivered at the Sixth Brussels Conference on Supporting the Future of Syria and the Region, organized by the European Union in the Belgium capital Brussels, in the presence of 46 countries and received by the Iraqi News Agency (INA), that Syrian crisis, since its outbreak, has led to a huge number of civilian casualties among the people and the displacement and asylum of millions of them inside and outside Syria, in addition to the great destruction that a number of Syrian cities and their infrastructure have been subjected to.
 
Hussein pointed out that “After more than eleven years have passed since the outbreak of the crisis, the world is now more aware than ever that the political and economic blockage and military confrontations will only lead to more suffering and destruction, and that the solution to the crisis lies in ending the stalemate that controlled the efforts for a political solution, It lies in ending the stalemate that has dominated the efforts for a political solution, and starting to take actual political steps to end the crisis and achieve the international community’s goals in establishing peace and security in Syria and protecting its people.”
 
 
" Since the beginning of the Syrian crises, The Iraqi government, has been very keen to support all international and regional initiatives and efforts aimed at resolving conflicts in the region by rejecting rivalries and military solutions and giving priority to the language of dialogue and diplomatic efforts to achieve security and stability," noting that "during  all the international forums , Iraq called for Syria’s return to occupy its normal position in the Arab League because of the great importance of such step in giving priority to the language of dialogue in preparation for the establishment of security, peace and stability in the region.
He affirmed, "Iraq's support all  the initiatives that respect the choices of the Syrian people, preserve Syria's unity and territorial integrity, and preserve and promote the principles and values of human rights, calling "all  the concerned parties to engage in a constructive political dialogue aimed at finding quick solutions to the suffering that the Syrian people have been subjected to as a result of this crisis, and accelerating the safe and voluntary return of migrants and IDPs to their places and the reconstruction of the affected areas in accordance with the provisions of Security Council Resolution 2254, the statements of the Geneva Conference on Syria and the Astana peace process in Syria.
 
“Despite all the security and logistical challenges, Iraq has allowed cross-border humanitarian aid operations and is cooperating positively with the programs and projects of the United Nations Office for Humanitarian Assistance, UNHCR and other international humanitarian organizations," Hussein continued.
 
Hussein renewed Iraq's call to the international community to unite efforts in order to eliminate once and for all the remnants of the terrorist organization ISIS and its extremist ideology and to hold its members accountable for all the crimes they committed against innocents, which reached to war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide, and the need to find a final and decisive solution to the issue of the scattered refugee camps In Syria and some countries in the region, because of the imminent danger that these camps could pose to regional and international security.”