British Minister for Middle East and International Development Alistair Burt stressed that the United Kingdom will continue its support to the military institutions, emphasizing that the position taken by the UK regarding Hezbollah will not affect the relations with the Lebanese State and the Lebanese army.
For his part, Lebanon’s National Defense Minister Elias Bou Saab noted that the decision concerns the UK alone and does not concern Lebanon, adding that Hezbollah has mayors and deputies elected by the Lebanese people and ministers in the government.
Bou Saab expressed relief over the ongoing aid from Britain to the military institutions, expressing his interest in boosting the relations between the Lebanese and British armies and expanding the cooperation potential to include both fields of security and intelligence in order to be able to confront the threats posed by the Islamic State after its military defeat in Syria.
On another issue, Bou Saab stressed that Lebanon can no longer bear the burden of the Syrian refugees, and is unable to wait for a political solution in Syria in order to resolve the refugee crisis, reiterating that Lebanon supports the safe and dignified return of the refugees to their country.