REPORT: France's Macron says external powers must stop...

3^min

French President Emmanuel Macron called on all Lebanese sides to abide by the dissociation policy and to keep the country out of regional conflicts.

He also called on all foreign powers to stop interfering in Lebanese politics.

"For Lebanon to be protected from regional crises it's essential that all Lebanese parties and regional actors respect the principle of non-interference," Macron said at the opening of International meeting on Lebanon in Paris.

"The meeting today must show the will of international community to see the policy of regional disassociation put into place effectively by all in the country."

For his part, Hariri said that the last crisis proved the International community’s commitment to Lebanon’s stability and showed the will of the Lebanese people to protect their country from regional crisis.

“All Lebanese sides reiterated their commitment to the dissociation policy to keep the country out of regional crisis and not interfering in Arab countries affairs,” Hariri added.

Hariri vowed to work with his government on maintaining the “best relations with Arab countries and the International community.”

“We will work also on respecting the United Nations Security Council’s resolution, mainly resolution 1701,” he added.

On another note, PM Hariri said that the sacrifices made by the Lebanese army “enabled the country to contain the terrorist threats and pushing them away for Lebanon’s borders.”

As for the Banque Du Liban, Hariri stressed that the Lebanese Central Bank abides by the International laws and regulations for “best baking practices.”

Hariri concluded by commenting on US President Donald Trump’s decision to move the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem by saying that such move will further complicate the peace process.

Lebanon plunged into crisis on Nov. 4 when Saad Hariri resigned as prime minister while he was in Saudi Arabia, saying he feared assassination and criticizing the Saudis' regional arch-rival Iran along with its Lebanese ally Hezbollah.

After international pressure and negotiations between Lebanese political factions, he rescinded his resignation on Tuesday and his coalition government, which includes Hezbollah, reaffirmed a state policy of staying out of conflicts in Arab states.

Saudi concern over the influence wielded by Shi'ite Muslim Iran and Hezbollah in other Arab states had been widely seen as the root cause of the crisis, which raised fears for Lebanon's economic and political stability.

The Lebanese policy of "dissociation" was declared in 2012 to keep the deeply divided state out of regional conflicts such as the civil war in neighboring Syria. Despite the policy, Hezbollah is heavily involved there, sending thousands of fighters to help Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

LBCI/REUTERS

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