Aoun to UK Minister: Lebanon Refuses to Naturalize Anyone on Its Soil
President Michel Aoun held talks Friday in Baabda with Alistair Burt -- the UK Minister of State for International Development and the Minister of State for the Middle East.
“Lebanon demands quick efforts to find a final solution to the Syrian crisis, because any delay will worsen the suffering of the Syrians as well as the impact of their presence as refugees on the country,” Aoun told the visiting British minister.
“Lebanon refuses to naturalize anyone on its soil,” he stressed.
During the meeting, which was attended by a delegation accompanying Burt and UK Ambassador to Lebanon Hugo Shorter, Aoun underscored “the firm ties that Lebanon has with the United Kingdom,” thanking Britain for “the support it has offered to the Lebanese Army, especially in terms of training the land border regiments that are deployed on Lebanon's eastern border.”
He also called for “increasing British assistance to the Lebanese Army to enable it to preserve stability and combat terrorism.”
Turning to the situation in the South, Aoun decried “the continued Israeli violations of U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701,” urging the UK to “interfere to put an end to the hostile Israeli actions against Lebanon and to halt the verbal threats that have increased recently.”
The British minister for his part underlined the kingdom's desire to boost bilateral relations at all levels, especially in the military and economic fields, the National News Agency said.
He also applauded Lebanon for hosting large numbers of Syrian refugees, reassuring that Britain will continue to offer them assistance.
Burt also held talks on Friday with Prime Minister Saad Hariri and Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil.
Source: Naharnet
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