Lebanon wards off spillover effects of Syrian conflict

The Iranian ambassador to Lebanon has praised the prudence of Lebanese authorities to protect the country against spillover effects of the Syrian crisis.

During a meeting with Lebanese lawmaker Boutros Harb in Beirut on Saturday, Ghazanfar Roknabadi said Lebanese statesmen, thanks to discretion and forethought, could avoid the adverse effects of the turmoil in Syria.

He also stated that the Islamic Republic of Iran was doing its best to help Lebanon maintain its unity and territorial integrity against the Israeli regime.

Meanwhile, Harb said the Lebanese government welcomed any plan seeking to stop the violence in Syria and restore calm there. He added that Lebanon’s stability is intertwined with Syria’s tranquility, noting that insecurity in Syria inevitably affects the situation in Lebanon.

The Lebanese official also thanked Iran for its aid and assistance to the Syrian refugees in Lebanon who have fled from the violence in their home country.

“Helping the Syrian refugees is a humanitarian responsibility and we thank the Islamic Republic of Iran for its assistance and aid in this regard.”

Syria has been experiencing unrest for nearly two years. Many people, including large numbers of security forces, have been killed in the turmoil that began in March 2011. The Syrian government says the chaos in the country is being orchestrated from outside.