President Michel Suleiman stated in a commentary, "Regarding the discussions about Shebaa Farms being Lebanese, it is useful to remind that the joint statement issued following the summit meeting between President Bashar al-Assad and myself on August 13, 2008 explicitly states the necessity for Israel to withdraw from the 'Lebanese' Shebaa Farms and the Kfarshouba hills, which constitutes a clear, official, direct, and announced acknowledgment."