Italian President Voices Support to Lebanon, Says Keen to Consolidate Ties

Italy's President Giorgio Napolitano expressed support on Thursday to Lebanon, stressing that his country is keen to fortify its role through its contingent in the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).

“Italy will continue to play a positive role to support Lebanon and help it resolve the conditions of the refugees,” Lebanon's Ambassador to Italy Charbel Estephan quoted Napolitano as saying during a ceremony to present his credentials.

According to the newly-appointed ambassador, the meeting tackled the bilateral ties between the two countries, the current developments in Lebanon and the region and the conditions of the refugees.

The number of Syrian refugees who fled the war in their country to Lebanon has soared to more than 400,000, the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees said on April 8, but Lebanese officials say the actual number of refugees has exceeded one million.