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Ammon News - AMMONNEWS - Jordan and Russia are engaged in serious discussions related to the dismantling of the Rukban refugee camp in Syria, Jordan's Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi told Sputnik.

"There is the Rukban displaced persons' camp in Syria, and we are engaged in serious talks with Russia on the de-establishment of that camp and the returns of its inhabitants to their homes. When refugees in Jordan see people from Rukban going back to their homes and villages and they are safe there, they would say: it's a good sign, let's go back too," Safadi said in an interview.

He added that Jordan and Russia agreed on the necessity for the voluntary return of Syrian refugees.

"On refugees, the Russians and Jordanians have discussions, and we agree that we need to encourage voluntary return. We agree that we need to work on creating conditions that would encourage refugees to return. It has to be a process. People go back when they feel safe. A good first step would be for IDPs to go back," Safadi noted.

"If you are a refugee in Jordan and looking across the border, you will consider going home if you see that internally displaced persons are going back. Refugees will not go back based on a news report. They will go back when they get a call from a cousin or a neighbor saying: it is safe, come back and bring your family," he explained.

Safadi stressed that Russia and Jordan together had done tremendous work, and continued to engage in a positive, open, and honest dialogue.

"We have done a lot of things together in trying to help solve issues related to the Syrian crisis and minimize danger. The trust and openness on which Jordan and Russian relations are based allowed us to work extremely well together few months ago in the south, and I think our collective work has enabled us to prevent a massacre and displacement of tens of thousands of Syrians. We worked together on reconciliation deals that prevented a catastrophic confrontation in the south before government took control of the area," Safadi said.

*Sputnik