Bassil Meets Steinmeier, Urges Action on Refugees before Lebanon 'Collapses'
Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil on Thursday stressed the need to “take the necessary measures” to address the Syrian refugee crisis in Lebanon and prevent the “collapse” of the country, noting that “Lebanon cannot await the political solution in Syria.”
“We explained the Lebanese strategy in combating international terrorism, especially in light of the Syrian spillover,” Bassil said after talks in Beirut with his German counterpart Frank-Walter Steinmeier.
“We suggested that Germany host a meeting for the International Support Group over the issue of Syrian refugees,” the minister said at a joint press conference.
He noted that “Lebanon is trying to distance itself from the Syrian crisis,” urging international organizations to help the country cope with the massive refugee influx.
“Lebanon cannot await the political solution in Syria. We must take the needed measures to prevent the collapse of Lebanon in the event of an increase in the numbers of refugees,” Bassil warned.
He pointed out that the repercussions of the Syrian crisis on Germany and Europe “are bigger than the repercussions of the Ukrainian crisis.”
For his part, Steinmeier said his country is aware that “scores of refugees are crossing the border into Lebanon, hoping to find not only security, but also decent living.”
“That's why Germany is willing to support refugees in Lebanon and we must encourage other countries to host refugees,” he added.
The top German diplomat said he agreed with Bassil to “increase humanitarian and medical aid to the refugees.”
“We in Germany have taken in more than 20,000 refugees,” he noted.
In response to a reporter's question, Steinmeier added: “There are in Syria parties that do not want to find a solution and we must find a new approach that can allow us to get closer to a solution, as the problem is not in the refugees but rather in the violence in Syria.”
On the possibility of creating refugee camps inside Syria or on the Syrian-Lebanese border, the minister said “there are no guarantees from Syria regarding the creation of camps and it is not possible at the moment to establish such camps in a safe environment in Syria.”
“We're not trying to dodge our responsibilities in this regard and there is an intention to hold an international conference to discuss the creation of funds aimed at helping the refugees,” he went on to say.
Steinmeier had arrived in Beirut on Thursday on a two-day visit that will include talks with Lebanese officials on the Syrian refugee crisis.
His trip is the first by a foreign minister of a country after the vacuum created at Baabda Palace on Sunday following the expiry of President Michel Suleiman's six-year term.
The number of refugees who have fled Syria and registered in Lebanon has exceeded 1.1 million.
During a visit to Berlin earlier this month, Bassil warned that direct assistance to Syrian refugees would contribute to their stay in Lebanon, suggesting aid to the Lebanese government instead.
Steinmeier promised a bigger role for Berlin to resolve the problem.
The visiting official will hold talks with Prime Minister Tammam Salam on Friday. But he will not meet with speaker Nabih Berri, who is abroad on a private visit, An Nahar daily said.
Steinmeier will also visit an encampment of Syrian refugees.
The governments of Turkey and Jordan have set up large, organized camps to take in many of the refugees. Lebanon, in contrast, has not allowed official camps, leaving almost no supervision over the dozens of small, informal encampments that have cropped up, particularly in the agricultural fields of the eastern Bekaa Valley.
The newspaper quoted diplomatic sources in Beirut as saying that Steinmeier's trip is “highly significant” due to plans by Berlin to host a conference for Syrian refugees in Lebanon.
He will discuss with Salam and Bassil ways to support the Lebanese government in confronting the crisis, the sources said.
Y.R.
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