Beirut, Sept. 17 (SANA) Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said Wednesday his government was working to strengthen relations with Syria based on mutual respect, shared interests and non-interference in each country’s internal affairs.
Speaking during a parliamentary questioning session in Beirut, Salam said Lebanon and Syria were cooperating on a range of bilateral issues, including arrangements concerning Syrian nationals serving prison sentences in Lebanon, according to Lebanon’s National News Agency.
Salam said the transfer of convicted Syrian nationals from Lebanese prisons to Syria to serve the remainder of their sentences was being carried out under a judicial agreement between the two countries.
He said his government was reviewing previous bilateral agreements with Syria and seeking to apply the principle of reciprocity in several areas.
Salam reiterated that relations between Beirut and Damascus should be based on respect for the sovereignty of both countries, shared interests and non-interference in internal affairs.
On Syrian refugees in Lebanon, Salam said his government had developed a plan to facilitate their safe and dignified return to Syria, in coordination with the Syrian government and with international support.
Nearly 700,000 Syrians have returned to their country, he said.
Salam said Lebanon would continue working to develop relations with Syria, adding that judicial, humanitarian and economic cooperation formed part of efforts to organize bilateral ties in a way that serves the interests of both countries.
Turning to Israel, Salam said the framework signed between Lebanon and Israel was a political framework for negotiations and did not constitute an agreement or treaty in the legal sense.
He said the framework provided for a phased Israeli withdrawal and called for the Lebanese state alone to exercise sovereignty over its entire territory.
Salam said Israeli attacks had not stopped and Israel had not withdrawn from all Lebanese territory. He added that a number of captives remained held and some Lebanese residents were still unable to return to their towns and villages.
Negotiations had not yet concluded, he said.
“The more we strengthen our national unity and extend the authority of the state alone over all its territory, the more we strengthen the elements of our power and our ability to secure our rights,” Salam said.
Salam rejected turning Lebanon into an arena for competing regional blocs and said the country should move away from dependency and reliance on outside powers.
Lebanon’s parliament renewed confidence in Salam’s government Wednesday, with 68 lawmakers voting in favor, 12 against and two abstaining.
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