Suleiman: Lebanon's Neutralization from Syria is First Step towards its Neutrality

President Michel Suleiman stressed the need to keep Lebanon away from the repercussions of the Syrian crisis as stipulated by the Baabda Declaration, reported the daily An Nahar on Saturday.

He told the daily: “We want to keep Lebanon neutralized from Syria in line with the Declaration.”

“Lebanon's neutralization is the first step towards achieving its neutrality,” he noted.

“Disassociation is not part of our policy, meaning that we want to keep Lebanon neutralized from the impact of the Syrian crisis,” Suleiman explained.

“We are not distancing ourselves from conferences on Syria, but we must disassociate ourselves from the decisions taken at these meetings,” said the president.

He stated that Lebanon should not side with or against these decisions, but it should keep a distance from them “in order to maintain Lebanon's neutralized position.”

Approved during a national dialogue session in June 2012, the Baabda Declaration calls for keeping Lebanon away from regional crises, most notably the one in Syria.

The agreement was unanimously approved by all members of the all-party talks, including Hizbullah.

Fighters from the party have however been taking part in the fighting in Syria alongside the country's regime, which has drawn widespread criticism in Lebanon and the international community.