MOSCOW. July 10 (Interfax) - The fact that the United States is still keeping some territories in Syria under its control is perpetuating the conflict in that country, the Russian and Syrian interagency coordination headquarters on the return of refugees to Syria said in a joint statement on Wednesday.
"We must point out to the international community that the fact that the U.S. and its allies continue to hold Syrian territories, the Rukban and al-Hol refugee camps, under their control only delays the ending of the conflict in Syria, worsens the crime situation, and obstructs the process of Syrians' returning to their homes and restoring peaceful life in the country," the headquarters said in the statement, which was signed by Russian National Defense Control Center head Col. Gen. Mikhail Mizintsev and Syrian Minister of Local Administration and Environment Hussein Makhlouf.
"We are convinced that it is now necessary to consolidate efforts toward providing worthy living conditions for the Syrian citizens returning to Syrian territory; otherwise, new waves of refugees to better-off countries, primarily in Western Europe, are possible," it said.
Moscow and Damascus believe the U.S. and its allies are continuing to obstruct the return of Syrian refugees to their homes with the aim of "disrupting the restoration of the economy and peaceful life in Syria," the statement said.
"We believe that the assimilation of Syrians in host countries is unacceptable for economic and social reasons. The presence of a large number of refugees in these countries has already prompted a huge crisis in the region. The only way out of this is for Syrians to return home," it said.