Italian FM Meets Miqati, Suleiman, Voices Concern with Syrian Crisis Spill Over to Lebanon

Italian Foreign Minister Giulio Terzi expressed Wednesday his “fear over the Syrian crisis and the possibility of the violence spilling over to the neighboring countries,” pointing out that his country is worried “not just regarding the violence in Syria but also the nature of the clashes.”

Terzi arrived in Beirut on Wednesday to address the situation in the region, expressing hope that Lebanon would remain stable amid the turmoil in the neighboring countries.

After his meeting with Prime Minister Najib Miqati at the Serail, Terzi said that the Syrian situation is worrying “not only due to the unacceptable and unpermitted violence, but also the nature of the crisis which might spill over the borders and reach other countries.”

At a press conference he held after meeting Miqati, the Italian FM stated that “Lebanon should be stable because stability is a key element to the Middle East,” considering that “re-launching national dialogue, with the participation of the various Lebanese parties, emphasizes the responsibility borne by the various parties.”

“Downing the Turkish airplane by the Syrian Air Force shows the risks that characterize the recent stage. The responsibility lies on the international community to avoid the spillover of these problems to Lebanon and to ensure Lebanon’s survival away from this crisis, because Lebanon has already witnessed crises in the seventies and eighties, and must not get involved in the recent events” he added.

After he visited Lebanese leaders, Terzi pointed out that he sensed “the conviction of the Lebanese authorities regarding the full-implementation of U.N. Envoy Kofi Annan to end the violence and reach a political solution to the crisis in Syria.”

Asked about stability in Lebanon, the Italian FM said that “the fragile regional security situation cannot be ignored, especially in light of the Turkish accident and the displaced Syrians,” but he expressed his confidence in Lebanon’s stability “because the political leaders re-launched dialogue, and the government’s neutral policy contributed to maintaining calm and stability in the country.”

President Michel Suleiman lauded the bilateral ties between Lebanon and Italy after holding talks with Terzi at the Baabda Palace.

He thanked the Italian FM for his country’s participation in the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon.

Suleiman urged Italy to launch a peace process in the Middle East.

Earlier, Foreign Minister Adnan Mansour met with his Italian counterpart, who left without making any statement.

Terzi later held talks on the latest developments with Speaker Nabih Berri.