Mansour Hails Russian Plan on Syria, Applauds Peaceful Solutions

Caretaker Foreign Minister Adnan Mansour lauded on Wednesday the Russian plan to secure Syria's chemical weapons, applauding any “peaceful” solution for the crisis to evade possible negative repercussions on the region and Lebanon.

“The Russian plan on Syria is welcomed. We back any peaceful solution for the crisis because any other option could have repercussions on the entire region including Lebanon,” said Mansour in an interview with the al-Joumhouria daily.

“Any action that distances the region from a potential war is considered positive,” he said, adding that the U.S. has one of two choices, “to either go to war or choose peace.”

Russia suggested on Monday to secure Syria's chemical weapons, a plan that could forestall U.S. air strikes in the aftermath of an alleged chemical weapons attack launched on August 21 in Damascus.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov urged Damascus to “put Syria's stockpile of chemical weapons under international control and then get rid of it.”

Lavrov said that the plan could spare Damascus a military strike planned by the U.S. against the Syrian regime.

Moreover, on the evacuation of foreign personnel from Lebanon because of potential threats, Mansour said: “Some missions have asked their citizens to leave Lebanon. But the situation does not call for that. All foreigners on Lebanese territories are surrounded by the care and attention of the state and security apparatus.”

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry had stated last week that the U.S. did not recall staff from Beirut, but that the number of American employees has been reduced “for security reasons.”