The Minister of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants in the caretaker government, Abdullah Bou Habib, stated that “the Syrian stance on the displaced issue was conveyed to me by President Bashar al-Assad, the Foreign Minister, and his deputy, that Syrians can return to their country whenever they want. However, the European stance emphasizes the necessity of political change in Syria, which is not safe for the return of the displaced.”
Bou Habib clarified in an interview with "Al-Jadeed" that “if I go to Damascus, I won’t be ‘pulling the pot out of the well’ regarding the displaced issue. It was agreed that upon my return to Lebanon, I would set a date for a meeting with Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad. I took the initiative to visit Syria and will visit again, and there is international pressure on us ‘not to do anything’ regarding the displaced issue.”
In response to Bou Habib's comments, the Minister of Social Affairs in the caretaker government, Issam Sharafeddine, addressed him during a television interview, saying: “You have a long tongue and I tolerated you last time; what are you skilled at? You are submissive, conciliatory, and complicit.”
Responding to Bou Habib's assertion that there is no point in visiting Syria, Sharafeddine said: “Now we will see.”
