Geagea on Refugees: We All Support Bassil's Efforts
Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea announced Sunday that he stands behind caretaker Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil as Lebanon seeks to benefit from a Russian-U.S. plan to repatriate Syrian refugees.
“The Russians and the Americans are preparing an arrangement to return around two million displaced Syrians to their country with Russian-U.S. guarantees and Russian arrangements on the ground in Syria,” Geagea said in a statement.
“This is good news for us as Lebanese and it is very important for the Lebanese state to benefit from this opportunity so that Lebanon can benefit from this agreement as much as possible,” Geagea added.
Noting that the development coincides with a visit by Bassil to Washington early next week, the LF leader said the minister “will have a major opportunity to negotiate with U.S. officials and then the Russians on giving Lebanon the priority in the repatriation of Syrian refugees living on its soil.”
“It is very important that we don't waste this chance and the Lebanese Foreign Ministry must carry out all the needed contacts to achieve the sought objective,” Geagea went on to say.
And despite the LF's strained ties with Bassil, Geagea added: “We all support Minister Jebran Bassil's efforts in order to achieve the needed breakthrough at an appropriate moment in a file that is one of Lebanon's priorities.”
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