The ministerial committee responsible for following up on the Syrian refugee issue called on Wednesday, after a meeting, for the “safe and dignified return of displaced persons” to Syria in accordance with a preliminary plan they are ready to discuss with the Syrian authorities.

According to the Grand Serail office, “the meeting focused on the process of gathering accurate information on the number of Syrian refugees and their legal, social, and economic status.” The committee subsequently examined a “preliminary plan for the safe and dignified return of displaced persons to their country, emphasizing that Lebanon is ready to implement it in cooperation with the Syrian authorities and relevant international organizations.”

The Grand Serail statement noted that a meeting was held to this end between the head of the committee, Deputy Prime Minister Tarek Mitri, and Social Affairs Minister Hanine al-Sayed, with a Syrian delegation led by Labor and Social Affairs Minister Hind Kabawat. This meeting, for which the date was not specified, allowed for a discussion “of all aspects of the issue of returning displaced Syrians.”

The committee monitoring the refugee issue is composed of Deputy Prime Minister Tarek Mitri, Defense Minister Michel Mensa, Interior Minister Ahmad Hajjar, Social Affairs Minister Hanine Sayed, Justice Minister Adel Nassar, and Labor Minister Mohammad Haidar. Foreign Affairs Minister Joe Raggi did not attend the meeting as he was traveling.

Lebanon hosts 1.5 million people who fled the civil war that broke out in Syria in 2011, according to official estimates. Lebanon has developed a quickly implementable plan to ensure the return of 400,000 Syrians. From Damascus, Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam called on Tuesday to “facilitate the safe and dignified return of Syrian refugees to their lands and homes, with the help of the U.N., as well as friendly and brotherly countries.”