President Michel Aoun stressed Tuesday that addressing the burdens of the Syrian displacement is a joint international responsibility, emphasizing the need to speed up work in order to put an end to the suffering of the refugees and guarantee their safe return.
In a joint press conference with his Bulgarian counterpart Rumen Radev, Aoun explained that the goal is to pair the Russian and US positions regarding the refugees’ return in order to reach the desired result.
Aoun also discussed with Radev the need to form a committee of the Federation of Lebanese Chambers of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture that will coordinate with the Bulgarian Federation of Chambers of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture, which will build a permanent bridge between the different factions of both countries, especially if a visa exemption for the Lebanese to Bulgaria was approved and a direct flight route between both states was introduced.
The president also stressed the need for Bulgaria to stand by Lebanon against the constant Israeli violations and to confirm its right to extract gas and oil within its borders, reiterating the importance of committing to the UN resolution 1701.
Discussions between the two presidents also focused on the US decision concerning the Golan Heights, where Aoun informed his counterpart of the Lebanese position, considering Trump’s decision as a blatant violation of International Law.
For his part, Bulgarian president emphasized that his country sees Lebanon as a partner in the Middle East.
He added that he discussed with Aoun the situation of the bilateral ties, noting that Lebanon and Bulgaria should not only depend on mutual trade but they must seek means to regulate joint production.
“We stand by Lebanon’s efforts to seek balance and dialogue while looking for peaceful solutions in the region and we appreciate as well the Lebanese model for ethnic, racial and religious tolerance,” he stated.
On the issue of the Syrian refugees, Radev pointed out that Bulgaria has an effective participation at the level of the European Union in order to provide Lebanon with financial support in this regard.
He also vowed to launch a direct flight route between Lebanon and Bulgaria.