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Lavrov: Lebanon Shouldn’t Be Hostage for Syria Crisis

Lavrov: Lebanon Shouldn’t Be Hostage for Syria Crisis
folder_openMiddle East... access_time5 years ago
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Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov stressed that Lebanon should not be hostage to the Syrian crisis.

In a joint news conference where he discussed refugee returns with his Lebanese counterpart Gebran Bassil, Lavrov stated: “We agreed to increase bilateral communication on some ways to coordinate. We have a common belief to make sure that Lebanon is not a hostage of the Syrian crisis.”

“We talked about the return of [Syrian] refugees and how they can return in a safe and dignified manner,” he added.

He also criticized opposition to the return of refugees, claiming “fabricated” reasons were being cited to stop returns as a cover to hinder reconstruction in Syria.

The head of Russian diplomacy further accused the United States of only being interested in rebuilding the parts of Syria where the opposition to Syrian President Bashar Assad remained active.

Bassil reiterated Lavrov’s position, adding that “Lebanon refuses to tie the return of the refugees to the political solution [in Syria].”

He lauded Russia’s efforts to find a solution to the Syrian refugee crisis. “The Russian proposal is the first international proposal that encourages the return of refugees and Lebanon is committed to it fully. We discussed an enduring, open-ended communication between our ministries to ensure the success of this proposal,” he said.

Bassil highlighted Lebanon’s need to play a role in rebuilding Syria for its “economic regeneration.” He also spoke of the need to strengthen bilateral ties with Russia, especially economically and militarily.

Before the news conference, local media reported that Lavrov said Lebanon’s issues need to be resolved without foreign intervention.

In an interview airing from Moscow with Russian news channel RT, Bassil said Lebanon had seen the largest portion of refugee returns in the region, topping Jordan. According to a statement from his ministry, Bassil expressed Lebanon’s willingness to coordinate with Russia and Syria, as well as the U.N. refugee agency if it changes “its view [of] rejecting the principle of refugee returns.”

As for Russia’s role, Bassil said the country was “not interfering in Lebanon’s internal matters, but enhancing regional stability.”

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team

 

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