German FM Meets Lebanon Leaders, Urges Efforts to Prevent Syria Spillover

German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle on Thursday held talks with top Lebanese leaders, stressing the need to “exert all efforts to prevent an importation of the Syrian conflict into Lebanon.”

The German diplomat called on the Lebanese political forces to shoulder their responsibilities in this regard.

In a statement in Istanbul ahead of traveling to Beirut, Westerwelle also voiced “great concern over the latest violent clashes in Lebanon.”

“During my talks in Beirut, I will call for a policy aimed at preventing escalation and achieving internal balance,” he added.

The minister stressed his country’s keenness on stability in Lebanon, saying Berlin took part in the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) to that end. He also underlined that his country was involved in efforts to address the plight of Syrian refugees in Lebanon.

At the Baabda palace, Westerwelle discussed with President Michel Suleiman “the bilateral ties between the two countries and the ongoing cooperation in all fields,” state-run National News Agency reported.

Talks also tackled “the situations in the region in general, particularly in Syria, and the efforts exerted to prevent their negative repercussions on Lebanon.”

For his part, Suleiman extended gratitude to Germany for “its aid and support for Lebanon at the political and economic levels,” hailing “the strength of these ties.”

During talks with Speaker Nabih Berri in Ain al-Tineh, the two men discussed “the current developments in the Lebanese and Arab arenas as well as the Syrian situation and its repercussions on the region.”

Westerwelle also held talks with head of the Mustaqbal parliamentary bloc, former premier Fouad Saniora. He is scheduled to meet with Premier Najib Miqati on Friday.