National News Agency
"We have felt the desire of more than 80% of the displaced Syrians to return [to their country], and the conditions are now right. We ask Germany to help us push in this direction," said Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil on Wednesday in a joint press conference with his German counterpart Haikou Mas.
"Lebanon is committed to Resolution 1701 and has not attacked Israel. The latter was the aggressor, as per usual," he stressed.
"We have previously refused to naturalize Palestinians, and we now refuse to naturalize Syrians," Bassil assured.
He continued: "We are keen on the safe return of displaced people. (...) In the past year, more than two hundred thousand Syrians have been repatriated from Lebanon because the conditions have become suitable."
The Foreign Minister stressed in this context that "the recent action taken by the army, which came by a decision of the Higher Defense Council of Lebanon, is the result of illegal gatherings of displaced persons for the purpose of building illegal housing units."