Salam: Lebanon open to peace once its demands get fulfilled
Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said overnight that his visit to Damascus aimed to elevate the level of cooperation between Lebanon and Syria and strengthen relations based on mutual respect and non-interference in each other's affairs.
He noted that the era of Syrian tutelage over Lebanon and Hezbollah's intervention in Syria had ended.
In an interview with Al-Arabiya, Salam stated that significant progress had been made in economic cooperation in the areas of customs duties, transit, transportation, exports, and electricity interconnection, and that the results would be evident very soon. He also mentioned that an agreement had been reached to establish the Lebanese-Syrian Higher Business Council, which would hold its first meeting in June.
Salam explained that "Bint Jbeil has become a replica of Gaza," and that Lebanon is "open to a peace agreement with Israel" after its demands get fulfilled.
He added that Lebanon did not choose war, but rather was dragged into the confrontation between Iran and the United States.
He pointed out that the Lebanese state is currently focused on halting hostilities and ending the war, and that it wants to return the displaced to their villages and towns. He stated that during the ongoing negotiations with Israel, Lebanon demanded a clear timetable for Israeli withdrawal.
He also mentioned that "68 Lebanese villages are now under Israeli control" because Lebanon was dragged into the war.
Source: Naharnet
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