Around 500 Tajik citizens stranded in camps in Syria – Foreign Minister

AKIPRESS.COM - Around 500 citizens of Tajikistan are stranded in Syria. Over 200 of them are women and children, who are ready to return to Tajikistan, Tajik Foreign Minister Sirojiddin Muhriddin told reporters, Avesta reported.
Tajik diplomats from the Embassy of Tajikistan in Kuwait visit Syria and hold talks on repatriation of citizens. The talks are held with the Syrian government, representatives of Syrian democratic forces, since a part of camps are in the areas under their control, the Foreign Minister explained.
The talks are also held with UNICEF and International Committee of the Red Cross, who expressed readiness to help Tajik authorities in repatriation of citizens. The exact number of Tajik citizens will be identified, he said.
Tajikistan is still considering possibility of opening a temporary diplomatic mission in Syria, the Foreign Minister said.
84 children were repatriated from Iraq to Dushanbe in late April 2019. Fathers of many of them were killed in the operations against the Islamic State. Their mothers were arrested in Iraq for aiding terrorists.