Aoun to EU Chief: Ailing Conditions Drive Our Calls for Refugees’ Return

President Michel Aoun on Tuesday has stressed that Lebanon’s ailing economic and social conditions are the drive behind the country's insistence that Syrian refugees return home, the Presidency’s media office said on Twitter.

“There are two contradictory approaches to the issue of displaced Syrians, and the European Union takes political-related decisions while Lebanon’s decisions stem from economic and social reasons,” Aoun told visiting EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini.

Aoun reiterated that Lebanon will carry on the efforts to ensure a safe return of Syrian refugees "without having to waiting for a political solution" in the war torn country because it could be a “lengthy” procedure.

However, he affirmed Lebanon’s “keenness not to endanger Syrians returning to their homeland,” noting that the European Union is “able to confirm that on the ground.”

For her part, Mogherini emphasized the willingness of the EU to continue providing assistance for Lebanon.