The Cyprus Ministry of Foreign Affairs Permanent Secretary, Alexandros Zenon, has announced that in 2017 and 2018 Cyprus will distribute humanitarian aid worth €100,000 to Jordan and Lebanon, noting that an additional €200,000 will be earmarked in next year`s budget.

According to a PIO press release, Zenon represented the Republic of Cyprus at the Conference on the future of Syria, taking place today in Brussels.

In his address, Zenon underlined the need to restore and respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Syria and to have a Syrian-led political transition process, which will lead to a democratic, inclusive and representative government, which will work towards national reconciliation.

The Permanent Secretary further stressed that if a political solution is to work out, an economic reconstruction strategy must be in place. To this end, educating the refugees who have found a safe haven in Europe could be pivotal, he said.

Recognising the essential role education, both academic and vocational, will play in the future of Syria, the Republic of Cyprus has already established a scheme for graduate studies scholarships, addressed to Syrian refugees currently hosted in Jordan and Lebanon.

He recalled that Cyprus has already pledged at last year’s conference €2,3 million to support Jordan and Lebanon, which host a disproportionate number of refugees, compared to their populations.