Miqati Says Government 'Respects' Sovereignty of Gulf States

Prime Minister Najib Miqati stressed on Saturday that the Lebanese government respects the sovereignty of all countries, in particular, the Arab states.

“The government doesn't interfere in the local affairs of other Arab states and considers all the political rhetoric expresses the opinion of those who say them,” Miqati said in a telephone conversation with Foreign Minister Adnan Mansour.

The premier pointed out that this approach was adopted after discussions with President Michel Suleiman.

“The Baabda Declaration clearly states on disassociating Lebanon from the international and regional developments and safeguarding it from any negative repercussions,” Miqati added.

Mansour briefed the PM on the protest by several gulf states over recent statements issued by Lebanese politicians.

On Friday, Bahrain summoned Ibrahim Assaf, the Lebanese charge d'affaires at the Lebanese Embassy in the Gulf state over remarks made by Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun earlier this week.

The MP's statement to Iran's al-Alam television on Wednesday was considered by Bahrain as an “irresponsible meddling in its internal affairs.”

Undersecretary of Regional and Gulf Cooperation Council Affairs Hamad al-Amer presented Assaf with an official complaint over Aoun's statements, expressing his country's “great condemnation” of the remarks.

Aoun later responded to Bahrain's criticism of his remarks, by saying: “We have our own free opinion and enjoy freedom of speech.”

He told al-Mada Radio on Saturday: “We support the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Bahrain would incur a lot of criticism if it does not advocate it.”

He noted the “massacres and takfiris” present in Syria, while highlighting the peacefulness of the Bahraini protests.

“One must distinguish between a revolt that massacres and kills its people and another that demands their rights,” the MP said.

The FPM leader had told al-Alam that the demands of the protesters in Bahrain are “fair and justified.”

He criticized the Arab League and international community for failing to support the protests.

Aoun added: “It's unfortunate that a peaceful revolution, which has been oppressed and going on for three years, has not been recognized enough by the world.”