Lebanon politicians criticise FM’s planned visit to Syria

Lebanese politicians criticised a planned visit by Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil to Syria, Anadolu Agency reported.

“Some people are seeking to lead us to be involved in foreign political problems,” Samir GeaGea, the leader of the Lebanese Forces party, said on Sunday.

Meanwhile, the Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri said: “If the head of the Free National Current, Bassil, is planning to visit Syria to discuss the issue of returning refugees, it is up to him. What is important is the result.”

He added: “We do not want the Syrian regime to use the visit as a pretext to return to Lebanon because we do not trust its intentions… If the refugees returned, we would be the first to welcome that.”

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“The country does not need new crises. The basic issue it stopping the economic crisis. If this was not achieved, the table would turn upside down over the heads of everyone.”

Bassil announced that he would be visiting Damascus in order to discuss the return of Syrian refugees from Lebanon. He described Syria as Lebanon’s “second lung”.