Mansour Will Represent Lebanon in Geneva 2, Rejects Receiving Orders from March 14

إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية W460

Caretaker Foreign Minister Adnan Mansour stressed Thursday that it was not up to the March 14 alliance to decide who would represent Lebanon at a proposed peace conference on Syria in Geneva.

In remarks to As Safir daily, Mansour said: “I will represent Lebanon at the head of the Lebanese delegation at the Geneva 2” conference.

“It is not up to March 14 to decide this issue although it can reject or comment as much as it wants,” he said.

“Eventually, institutions and officials in power decide how things will take place. We don't receive orders from them (March 14),” Mansour added.

The alliance has on several occasions criticized the minister for being close to the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad.

Russian and U.S. officials on Tuesday failed to agree a date for the peace conference in Geneva that has been delayed multiple times.

World powers strongly disagreed over what diplomatic steps to take to resolve the fighting in Syria and what any future Syrian leadership beyond Assad's government should look like.

Syria's information minister, Omran al-Zoubi, has said the Assad government is not ready to negotiate handing over power. Syrian opposition leaders have insisted that Assad be excluded from Syria's future leadership for any talks to take place.

Mansour told As Safir that if the Geneva 2 talks were held, he would stress that a solution to Syria's crisis “should come only through dialogue because the ongoing rounds of violence are dragging everyone towards destruction.”

“Lebanon will not stand with one team against the other” and has repeatedly said that the war should be resolved peacefully.

Mansour said he would warn that the war has given rise to extremist thoughts and terrorist operations through the fighters who have entered the country from abroad.

Such developments have become a direct threat on the whole region, he said.

“Counter-terrorism is not only a Lebanese interest but an international duty to ward off the danger from everyone,” Mansour added.

Comments 10
Thumb benzona 07 November 2013, 08:04

Quelle enflure ce mec. We need to send a parallel diplomacy at the Geneva 2 talks.... because Lebanon's interests will NOT be represented. Basically, he's a clone of Assad that will bite the FSA and others when ordered by Assad.

Thumb benzona 07 November 2013, 08:16

btw Twinny, good morning to you. I'm super busy lately and don't have time to come to the internet during the day. So, please forgive me if I don't reply to your messages.

Have a good day everyone, friends, foes, and neutrals ;-)

Thumb mckinl 07 November 2013, 09:02

If Lebanon were to wait until there were agreement between M8 and M14 on a delegate there would be no delegate ... period.

Mansour is quite right in dismissing M14. All M14 has been good for is obstructing governance. This decision would be no different.

Thumb liberty 07 November 2013, 10:51

Mansour represents ashraf el nass and the syrian regime not only at Geneva, but in any other conference.

Thumb thepatriot 07 November 2013, 10:59

He Only takes orders from his Boss: Bashar!

Thumb dasphinx 07 November 2013, 12:21

I guess Mansour knows that there will be no new government by the time the Geneva convention would take place. March 14 is stupid not to accept the 9-9-6 proposition as we are stuck with the 30-0 current government with Mansour as a minister.

Default-user-icon Gond (Guest) 07 November 2013, 12:31

He should be hanged for National Treason!

Missing trigger 07 November 2013, 13:19

Wait till bashar throws you a bone.. then go fetch it

Missing peace 07 November 2013, 17:30

muallem needed his porter and shoe shiner.......

Thumb Elemental 07 November 2013, 19:44

How can one man represent 2 nations? Lebanon and Iran are not the same.