The head of the Free Patriotic Movement, Deputy Gebran Bassil, praised in an interview with Al-Hadath channel the efforts made by Saudi Arabia to transition the region from conflict and strife to harmony, development, prosperity, and economic competition, describing it as positive for everyone. He noted that "if a development occurs in Iran similar to what is happening in Saudi Arabia, it will also have a positive impact on the region." He confirmed, "We want to have the best relations with all countries in the region."
Commenting on the trial of the Governor of the Central Bank of Lebanon, Riad Salameh, he stated: "He has fallen in our eyes, and the accusations against us for renewing him according to a certain deal is untrue." Bassil pointed out that "the head of the Progressive Socialist Party, Walid Jumblatt, has made a responsible statement regarding the presidency, and we are in communication about it with the other side." He explained that "the alliance with Hezbollah has entered a different phase," emphasizing that "the country's situation requires moving away from the current alignments to rebuild Lebanon." He said, "We learned from the experience of former President Michel Aoun."
Regarding the French position on the presidential election, he answered: "France is making efforts regarding Lebanon, but the choice is for the Lebanese, not for any other country." He concluded: "There are external parties and internal actors that have put Lebanon in front of two options: either Riad Salameh or the destruction of the country." Speaking about his relationship with Hezbollah, he stated: "We have come to different approaches, and the country must emerge from conflicts to contribute positively to its reconstruction." He added: "Our relationship with Hezbollah has shifted to another place to keep pace with the developments occurring in the region."
In another interview with Sputnik, Bassil emphasized that "the file of Syrian refugees is a priority, as its continuation means the demise of Lebanon." He stated that "each state has its identity and characteristics; when a state loses its identity, there is no longer an existence for the Lebanese people." He continued: "We are on a decreasing trajectory regarding the Lebanese present in Lebanon and an increasing trajectory for non-Lebanese present on Lebanese territory, demographically, and this is not about Christian or Muslim divisions but Lebanese versus non-Lebanese." He clarified that "the issue of the return of refugees is an absolute priority; thus, we visited Italy and the Vatican to discuss this matter."
The head of the Free Patriotic Movement confirmed that "there are attempts to settle Syrian refugees in Lebanon, and this has been announced by its proponents, hence it is no longer just a matter of fear or suspicion but a real danger represented by their actual presence and actions such as paying refugees in dollars and demanding identification documents from them in exchange for providing their records. All this shows there is not only intent but actual efforts to keep them in Lebanon."
He stressed that "Syria's return to the Arab League is, in itself, a positive indicator of Syria's natural place and beneficial for Lebanon, which will be positively affected by this matter. However, it could also be the beginning of a process in which Arab countries prioritize the stability of Syria, including Lebanon, Iraq, and Jordan at a minimum. If these three countries and Syria are not stable, the Gulf will not be stable, thus there is additional Gulf interest in this file, with Egypt at the heart of this equation." He concluded his statements by indicating that "if these countries gather and decide to address the Syrian file and the situation in Syria from the perspective of stability and return Syria to its natural place, it will necessitate addressing the refugee file, which will be gradually resolved as Syria recovers and begins reconstruction."
