BASSIL After Meeting Grandi: We Do Not Seek Problems With UN

14 Jun 2018

Lebanon - Caretaker Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil on Thursday maintained that Lebanon does not seek any problem with the United Nations and its high refugee commission, calling to encourage the safe return of the Syrian refugees to their homeland.

Bassil made these remarks during his meeting with United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, in Geneva.

He said that he was ready to lift his ministry's procedures towards the UNHCR if he saw changes in its policy; equally, Bassil said he would step up the measures if its policy remained unaltered.

"Preventing refugees' early return to their country is a rejected policy," he underlined.

BASSIL Meets De Mistura, Gurry in Geneva

14 Jun 2018

Lebanon - Caretaker Foreign Affairs and Emigrants Minister, Gebran Bassil, on Thursday met in Geneva with the UN envoy to Syria, Stefan de Mistura, with talks reportedly touching on the current situation in Syria and the Syrian refugees' crisis.

On the other hand, Minister Bassil met with the Director General of World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), Francis Gurry, with whom he discussed means of cooperation with the Organization in the aim of bolstering the national economy and creating new job opportunities.

GEAGEA to Girard: We Back Aoun Position on Syrian Refugees' Return

14 Jun 2018

Lebanon - Lebanese Forces' leader, Samir Geagea, informed the UNHCR representative in Lebanon, Mireille Girard, that his party backs the position of President Michel Aoun regarding the return of the Syrian refugees to their country.

"The LF party backs the position of President Michel Aoun as to the necessity of the Syrian refugees' quick return without awaiting a political solution to the crisis in Syria, which might take time," Geagea told the UNHCR representative, who visited him at his Maarab residence.

"This a sovereign Lebanese decision and the UNHCR is only concerned with the humanitarian aspect of the crisis," Girard said.