BEIRUT, Dec. 13 (Xinhua) -- Lebanon's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has adopted a new strategy aimed at accelerating the return of Syrian refugees to their homeland, Al-Akhbar local newspaper reported Thursday.

"We are trying to promote this new strategy with Western European countries mainly," it said.

The strategy encourages Syrian refugees to return to secure areas in their country where the basic needs of citizens such as electricity and infrastructure are well provided, the ministry said.

It added that refugees whose houses have been destroyed can return to take part in the reconstruction of their country.

"As for those who ran away from their country for other reasons, they can travel to a third country as one of the solutions provided in the strategy," the ministry said.

The ministry said that it aims at returning Syrian refugees gradually to their country, the report said.

Lebanon is hosting 976,000 registered Syrian refugees, according to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, while the government estimates the true number of Syrian refugees in the country is 1.5 million.

The flow of Syrian refugees to Lebanon has weighed heavily on the country's economy. Enditem

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