The results of the Arab Ministerial Contact Committee meeting about Syria that was held in Cairo yesterday, alongside the issue of the Cypriot authorities returning an illegal migrant boat from its waters towards the Lebanese shores despite it having set off from Syria, and the returning of Syrian migrants to a third country, namely Lebanon, have cast a shadow on governmental and diplomatic life in Lebanon as discussions continue about their implications on the current situation.
Diplomatic and ministerial sources told "Al-Jomhouria" that during Foreign Minister Abdullah Bou Habib's visit to Prime Minister Mikati before the Cabinet meeting, which Mikati decided not to attend, he briefed him on the outcomes of the Cairo meeting. Meanwhile, the American ambassador was meeting with both Bou Habib and the Director-General of General Security, Major General Elias Bejiri, searching for the circumstances that led to the return of Syrian migrants from Cyprus to a third country and their transport from Lebanese shores to inside Syria, as carried out by the Lebanese army units, despite the fact that the international community considers Syrian territory unsafe.
The sources added that the meeting between Bou Habib and Shea covered additional topics, primarily regarding the ongoing preparations in New York for the renewal decision concerning the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), which is expected later this month. The discussions included Lebanon's observations on the proposed new resolution being presented to the Security Council and Lebanon's demands for amendments to the previous resolution to remove the clause allowing these forces to operate in their patrols without the participation of the Lebanese army.
