BEIRUT: Speaker Nabih Berri Wednesday called on the international community to support the region in its battle against terrorism, adding that Lebanon had not yet received enough aid to help it cope with the ongoing Syrian refugee crisis.
“We call for the support of efforts made by regional states to counter takfiri terrorism and attempts to displace certain segments of people, thus splitting the already divided regions in Syria and Iraq,” Berri said in a speech at the World Leaders’ Investment Summit, which was held in Geneva as part of the activities of the World Investment Forum 2014.
The speaker also called for Lebanon to be given more help in its war against terrorism in the region.
Lebanon is battling ISIS and Nusra Front jihadists holed up on its northeastern border. Militants from both groups briefly occupied the border town of Arsal in August and are still holding 27 servicemen they captured during the ensuing battle.
Berri urged the international community to boost support to Lebanon through the International Support Group for Lebanon and the World Investment Forum.
Turning to the Syrian refugee crisis, the speaker added that international support provided so far was not enough.
He pointed to the presence of around 1.5 million Syrian refugees in Lebanon, in addition to about 100,000 Palestinians displaced from refugee camps in Syria. More than 1.1 million Syrian refugees and 42,000 Palestinians from Syria have officially registered with UNHCR and UNRWA respectively in Lebanon, although the unofficial figure is known to be higher.
“These numbers have added new burdens in terms of housing, water and electricity and the environment. And international support in this regard is not enough to address the problem of the refugees,” Berri said.
Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil discussed with U.S. Ambassador David Hale ways to deal with Lebanon’s volatile security situation, the minister’s office said.
The two spoke about “ways to fight terrorism by military and ideological means,” according to a statement from Bassil’s office.
It said Bassil and Hale had also discussed assistance to the Army.
They touched on the visit to Washington by Army commander Gen. Jean Kahwagi, who took part Tuesday in a meeting in Washington with military leaders from the international anti-ISIS coalition.
Later in the day, Hale met with Prime Minister Tammam Salam, sources told The Daily Star, without providing details of their discussion.
The U.S. envoy made no statements following the meetings.
Hale also visited Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblatt at his Beirut residence. A PSP statement said the two had discussed local and regional developments.
Meanwhile, Former Prime Minister Saad Hariri tackled the presidential election stalemate with Bassil at a recent meeting in Paris, Free Patriotic Movement sources said Wednesday.
The sources, speaking to The Daily Star, said the two had also discussed the security situation in Lebanon, as well as the second extension of Parliament’s mandate.
Hariri told Bassil that the Future Movement was now considering a consensus presidential candidate, and said once again that FPM leader Michel Aoun was not an option, according to the sources.
Arab diplomatic sources in Rome told The Daily Star that in a meeting between Hariri and Maronite Patriarch Beshara Rai held Monday, the two had touched on the names of presidential candidates.
The sources said the March 14 coalition had made a final decision to drop its support for Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea as a presidential candidate, but would only officially announce its stance after reaching an agreement with the March 8 alliance, particularly the Amal Movement and Hezbollah, on a consensus candidate.
However, the sources said March 14 coalition’s strong criticism of Hezbollah’s attack on an Israeli patrol in the occupied Sheba Farms last week and its rejection of an Iranian grant offered to the Lebanese Army meant that its reaching a compromise with Hezbollah over the presidency might not be possible.
Separately, efforts are underway to ensure Christian parties do not oppose the imminent extension of Parliament’s term, so that the move is not seen as a violation of the National Pact.
Political sources said Rai’s tacit approval of the extension and the eagerness of the Lebanese Forces and the Kataeb Party to avoid divisions within the March 14 coalition would prompt them to renege on their opposition to the move.
In another development during a session Wednesday, Parliament’s joint committees endorsed the principle of treating teachers at public and private schools on equal footing in a draft law to introduce a salary rise to the public sector.
The committees are to look into the details of the proposed wage hike in a later session.
Prime Minister Tammam Salam will chair a Cabinet session Thursday morning after meeting U.N. envoy to Syria Steffan de Mistura at the Grand Serail.
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