Berri says Lebanon won't accept 'conditional' int'l aid

War-hit Lebanon will not accept to receive aid for its reconstruction under political or military conditions, including the disarmament of Hezbollah, Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri said.

Amal leader and Hezbollah's ally Berri told ad-Diyar newspaper, in remarks published Tuesday, that the country's reconstruction must be a national priority and that Lebanon is seeking international support without relinquishing its sovereign rights or making concessions that could affect its national principles.

Berri's remarks came as president Joseph Aoun ended a visit to Saudi Arabia where he discussed regional affairs with the kingdom’s crown prince after which both countries said Israeli troops should withdraw from south Lebanon and only the Lebanese state should have weapons.

Berri said he hopes the new government will succeed in building good relations with Saudi Arabia, which he thinks would reflect positively on Lebanon's economy. "Saudi Arabia has always been supporting Lebanon," Berri said, adding that the presence of Israeli troops in south Lebanon requires a unified Lebanese position and pressure from the international community.

"The Israelis have not just occupied the five border hills but they have also established a border strip that extends around one or two kilometers inside Lebanese territory," Berri said, as he praised the stances of former PSP leader Walid Jumblat on national and strategic issues, especially the resistance and the rejection of the Israeli occupation.

Jumblat had said Sunday that he will soon visit Syria to meet its interim leader as tensions simmer there between members of the minority Druze group, the war-torn country's interim government, and Israel. He said "the free Syrians must be cautious of the plots of Israel."