Syrian conflict costs 200 billion USD in five years: Assad

President Bashar al-Assad said the future contracts to help rebuild the country would be handed out to companies from nations that had backed Damascus during the bloody conflict.

The Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said in an interview released Wednesday that the brutal five-year conflict in Syria has cost the country more than $200 billion (176 billion euros). He also has insisted that Damascus would look to Russia, China and Iran to rebuild the nation.

“The economic damage and the damage to infrastructure exceed $200 billion,” Assad told Russian state news agency RIA Novosti.

President Bashar al-Assad said the future contracts to help rebuild the country would be handed out to companies from nations that had backed Damascus during the bloody conflict.

“Of course we expect that this process will be based on three main countries that supported Syria during this crisis — Russia, China and Iran,” Assad said.

A truce agreement was negotiated by Russia and the United States regarding Syrian conflict although many analysts suggested that the Washington had been supporting terrorists fighting against the Syrian government forces.

Nevertheless, the Arab country is currently observing an agreement for the cessation of hostilities which entered into force on February 27. The agreement stipulates the cessation of all military hostilities in Syria, except for the operations against ISIS terrorist group and al-Qaeda-linked al-Nusra Front militants. From the middle of the March, Russia has been withdrawing troops and warplanes from Syria to make an end to the Syrian crisis.