28 Oct 2020

Lebanon - President of the Republic, General Michel Aoun, on Wednesday affirmed that he is looking forward to finding a fast solution which achieves the return of the displaced Syrians to their country, especially since several areas in Syria have become stable after the end of fighting, pointing out that Lebanon is no longer able to bear more negative repercussions of this displacement which inflicted losses on the country, exceeding 40 Billion US Dollars, according to the International Monetary Fund.

The President also told the Russian delegation, which he received this morning at the Presidential Palace, headed by the Special Envoy of the Russian President for Syrian Affairs, Alexander Lavrentiev, that “The presence of around one and a half million displaced Syrians in Lebanon and about 500 thousand Palestinian refugees, all of whom constitute half of the Lebanese population, negatively affects the various sectors, especially with the economic crisis that the country’s suffers from currently and the repercussions of Corona virus, as well as the losses resulting from the Beirut Port explosion”. President Aoun also considered that the Russian initiative, which was launched in 2018 to seek a solution for the Syrian refugee crisis, “Was not completed due to the positions of numerous western countries which didn’t provide the necessary funding for this initiative, in addition to linking this return to finding a political solution to the Syrian crisis, is not encouraging, especially since the Palestinian clause has been waiting for 72 years, and a just and comprehensive solution has not yet been reached, and so has the Cypriot issue.

In addition, the President said that the international aid provided to the displaced Syrians should be provided to them in Syria, because this encourages them to return and ensures their continued assistance, expressing his hope that convening a new conference to discuss the displaced issue could help find a suitable solution.

Then, President Aoun thanked the Russian delegation for the assistance provided by Moscow after the Beirut Port explosion, through the air bridge it had built between Beirut and Moscow, in addition to creating a field hospital to treat all the wounded.

The delegation conveyed President Aoun’s greetings to President Putin and his appreciation to the stances of the Russian President in supporting Lebanon in various circumstances.

For his side, Mr. Lavrentiev conveyed to President Aoun, the greetings of President Putin and his wishes for success, prosperity and progress for the Lebanese. Lavrentiev also conveyed President Putin’s condolences to the victims of the Beirut Port explosion, stressing that Russia stands by Lebanon, especially in the current difficult circumstances, noting the capabilities of the Lebanese to overcome all adversities.

Mr. Lavrentiev also focused on the relationship between Russia and Lebanon, and “The Russian aid sent to Beirut was the best proof of this good relationship”, stressing Russia’s readiness to provide support of all kinds, especially for the rehabilitation of the damaged infrastructure.

Lavrentiev then stated the reasons which prompted his country to call for an international conference in Damascus on November 11 and 12, devoted for the return of displaced Syrians, which aims to create appropriate conditions to secure the voluntary return of the displaced to their country, wishing Lebanon’s participation in this conference. Mr. Lavrentiev finally affirmed Russia’s interest in creating appropriate conditions for the return of the displaced Syrians who wish to return.

On the Russian side, attendees were: head of the National Center for Defense Administration of the Russian Federation, General Mikhail Mizintsev, the Special Envoy of the Russian Foreign Minister for Syrian Affairs, Mr. Alexander Kinshak, the Ambassador of the Russian Federation to Lebanon, Alexander Rudakov, General Stanislav Gadzmagomedov, General Yegorov and General Alexander Zorin of the Russian Ministry of Defense.

On the Lebanese side, Minister Salim Jreisatti, Director General of the Presidency of the Republic, Dr. Antoine Choucair, and advisors, Brigadier General Paul Matar, Rafic Chelala and Osama Khashab, attended the meeting.—Presidency Press Office