Berri: Army Most Important Institution that Combines Lebanese

Lebanese Speaker Nabih Berri on Friday warned of the implications of the continuing crisis in Syria on Lebanon, expressing fears of implementing a scheme in the region similar to the Sykes-Picot Agreement, a 1916 covenant between France and the UK that divided up the Middle East.

The speaker also warned during a meeting with European Union ambassadors of the Syrian crisis’ implications on Lebanon and other neighboring countries, the National News Agency reported.

The Lebanese Speaker praised the role of Lebanon’s Army “which is one of the most important institutions that smelted the Lebanese on the national level,” adding that “the future of Lebanon is in aiding the army.”

Berri expressed confidence in the “Lebanese economy and the possibility of absorbing the investments at all levels,” praising “the upcoming and promising opportunities in the oil sector.”

The Speaker stressed however that the Palestinian cause must be “the central cause,” adding that resolving this cause would help achieve “stability in the region to ensure the right of the Palestinian people to build their independent state.