Suleiman Says Some Statements on Syria Don't Reflect Lebanon Official Stance
President Michel Suleiman on Friday warned that Lebanon can no longer cope with the burden of Syrian refugees, stressing that some statements on the Syrian crisis do not reflect the Lebanese official stance.
During a meeting with the ambassadors of the U.N. Security Council member states, Suleiman rejected "any foreign military intervention in Syria and any Lebanese intervention in the Syrian crisis."
"This stance was taken by the Lebanese government and the president is keen on implementing it in coordination with the prime minister," Suleiman added.
"The statements voiced every now and then, whichever side they may come from, do not reflect the Lebanese official stance on the Syrian crisis," he told the envoys.
The president also called on the international community to "realize the seriousness of the burden posed by the continuous influx of refugees from Syria, in a manner that the Lebanese government and people can no longer cope with.”
According to the National News Agency, the ambassadors expressed their understanding of the Lebanese stance and promised to convey it to their governments.
Syrian regime forces backed by Hizbullah fighters on Wednesday managed to seize control of the strategic town of Qusayr near the Lebanese border.
The U.N. says it has registered around 500,000 Syrian refugees, but Lebanese officials say their number has exceeded one million.
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