The issues of displaced Syrians in Lebanon and Lebanese missing in Syrian prisons were at the center of talks held by Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea in Meerab on Friday.
Geagea met with the Foreign Minister in the caretaker government, Abdallah Bou Habib, who expressed hope that Lebanon would succeed in facilitating the return of Syrian refugees to their country, stressing, however, that the international community has a key role in that regard.
Bou Habib pointed out that there is “disagreement with the Europeans, who want to keep the displaced Syrians in Lebanon without consulting us.”
“The issue of displaced persons cannot be resolved in Syria, but it requires the intervention of the international community, mainly of the Europeans, who are supposed to be working with us to find a radical solution to this problem,” Bou Habib said, adding that he hopes “a dialogue would be initiated on this subject as soon as possible.”
Regarding the possibility of participating in the ministerial committee in charge of conducting talks with Damascus on the refugee issue, Bou Habib said: “I will be going to Syria merely as Lebanon’s Foreign Minister. The decision to form the committee rests with the Prime Minister, especially as it was set up in my absence, as I do not attend ministerial meetings”.
He then stressed that Lebanon seeks the return of the refugees “in dignity and security, because we refuse to allow this to happen against their will.”
Lebanese Detainees in Syrian Prisons
Geagea also met on Friday with a delegation from the Association of Lebanese Detainees in Syrian Prisons, led by the group’s president, Ali Abou Dehn.
During the meeting, Geagea discussed the independent body that the United Nations General Assembly decided to create on 29 June to clarify the fate of thousands of people who have disappeared in Syria over the past 12 years of a devastating war. He described the decision as historic, adding that the executive decrees and working mechanism of the UN organism would be announced within the next 60 days.
Geagea also noted that tens of thousands of people are being held in Syrian prisons without the reasons for their detention being known, and thanked Abu Dehn for his association’s efforts to include the file of Lebanese missing in Syria in the work of the UN body.
On his part, Abou Dehn revealed that “in a letter sent to the Secretary General of the United Nations, António Guterres, the Association thanked the 83 countries that voted in favor of the decision to establish the new UN body.”
He deplored the fact that Lebanon had abstained from voting on the resolution that was passed on June 29.
