Damage from Syria’s civil war, ongoing since 2011, has exceeded $ 200 billion. This was stated by President Bashar al-Assad in an interview with RIA Novosti.
“Economic issues can be worked out directly, when the situation in Syria stabilizes. But the rehabilitation of infrastructure takes a long time”, — said the head of state.
According to Assad, when there is hope to improve the situation in the country, Syria will begin to return refugees. “The cause of migration — not only in terrorism and the situation in the area of security. It lies in the embargo, imposed against Syria by Western sanctions. Many people left the safe areas in which there is no terrorism, because of the standard of living,” he added.
The confrontation between Assad and rebels demanding his resignation, started in 2011 and escalated into a full scale civil war, during which force scored the terrorist organization. From September 2014 the US-led international coalition conducting bombing militant positions in the country. In the fall of 2015 at the request of Damascus, Russia has started in Syria air operation against the extremists. In mid-March the Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered the withdrawal of the main part of the military contingent, but the locations of the Russian forces (in Tartus marine and aviation at the airport Hamim) left to function as usual.
