Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah met with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in Damascus to discuss the issue of funding the UN-backed Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL), Al-Akhbar newspaper reported.
According to the daily’s Thursday edition, Nasrallah visited Damascus “less than 10 days ago to address regional matters, including the STL funding issue with Assad.”
“[Nasrallah and Assad] had a different approach concerning the tribunal’s funding… [but they both] take into account their common interests in order to make the most appropriate decision,” Al-Akhbar said.
The pro-Hezbollah paper added that Assad “did not mind” that Lebanon provide its annual share of funding to the STL.
“The Syrian president’s primary concern was to support the Lebanese government and keep its work [steady].”
“In parallel, Nasrallah said that he cannot approve to fund the tribunal …[because] it is a basic issue related to the Resistance.”
However, the daily said that the Syrian president was “lenient” concerning Lebanon’s funding of the STL.
Hezbollah and other Syrian-backed March 8 parties and figures have spoken out against Lebanon’s ties and funding for the tribunal and called it a tool to incite sectarian strife in Lebanon, however, Prime Minister Najib Mikati has repeatedly voiced Lebanon’s commitment to the tribunal.
Four Hezbollah members have been indicted by the STL for the 2005 murder of ex-PM Rafik Hariri. However, the Shia group strongly denies the charges and refuses to cooperate with the court.
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