President Michel Suleiman asked Arab countries to help Lebanon deal with the “existentialist threat” that the Syrian refugee crisis poses to the country.
“[I call on Arab states to] participate in financing the special economic support projects for Lebanon… and partake in the Rome conference to support the Lebanese army,” Suleiman said on Tuesday during his speech at the Arab Summit’s 25th ordinary session held in Kuwait’s capital.
The Lebanese head of state also urged the top Arab politicians to “encourage all internal and regional parties to abide by the principle of dissociating Lebanon, in word and deed, from regional conflicts as stipulated by the Baabda Declaration, and help control [security] along [Lebanon’s] northern border.”
Suleiman spoke of the need for other countries to share the burden of the Syrian refugees, given that they now constitute one third of Lebanon’s population.
“There must be an exceptional and integrated Arab effort to convince the most countries possible to share [in hosting] the scores of Syrian refugees… and to work on persuading the concerned internal and international parties of the necessity to broaden the frame of sheltering refugees in safe areas inside Syrian territory.”
“Lebanon can no longer practically host more of these refugees on its soil, and they now constitute over 32% of its total population,” Suleiman added.
He warned that the large number of Syrian refugees on Lebanese land “might require looking for legal ways to stop their influx into its territories.”
The Lebanese head of state also called on top Arab leaders and politicians to aid Lebanon in its fight against terrorism which, according to Suleiman, threatens the entire region.
“The future of our peoples and countries depends on our success, in the coming years, in making moderate forces prevail over [extremist] movements in the Arab world.”
“[I call on Arab states to] participate in financing the special economic support projects for Lebanon… and partake in the Rome conference to support the Lebanese army,” Suleiman said on Tuesday during his speech at the Arab Summit’s 25th ordinary session held in Kuwait’s capital.
The Lebanese head of state also urged the top Arab politicians to “encourage all internal and regional parties to abide by the principle of dissociating Lebanon, in word and deed, from regional conflicts as stipulated by the Baabda Declaration, and help control [security] along [Lebanon’s] northern border.”
Suleiman spoke of the need for other countries to share the burden of the Syrian refugees, given that they now constitute one third of Lebanon’s population.
“There must be an exceptional and integrated Arab effort to convince the most countries possible to share [in hosting] the scores of Syrian refugees… and to work on persuading the concerned internal and international parties of the necessity to broaden the frame of sheltering refugees in safe areas inside Syrian territory.”
“Lebanon can no longer practically host more of these refugees on its soil, and they now constitute over 32% of its total population,” Suleiman added.
He warned that the large number of Syrian refugees on Lebanese land “might require looking for legal ways to stop their influx into its territories.”
The Lebanese head of state also called on top Arab leaders and politicians to aid Lebanon in its fight against terrorism which, according to Suleiman, threatens the entire region.
“The future of our peoples and countries depends on our success, in the coming years, in making moderate forces prevail over [extremist] movements in the Arab world.”
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