Before the parliamentary session scheduled for tomorrow to discuss the issue of Syrian displaced persons, Foreign Minister Abdullah Bo Habib responded officially to a letter from his Syrian counterpart, Faisal Al-Miqdad, who considered the "Brussels Conference a platform for attacking Syria." In his response regarding Syrian concerns over the deliberate exclusion of representatives from Damascus, Bo Habib affirmed that "Lebanon's participation in the conference stems from the conviction that it is unacceptable to exclude countries directly involved in crises or those affected by them from conferences, meetings, and initiatives dedicated to these crises." He added, "Based on this conviction, Lebanon sees the importance of inviting the Syrian Arab Republic to participate in the Brussels Conference, as it is the primary country concerned with the goals and outcomes of the conference. Therefore, Lebanon has requested and will continue to request Syria's invitation to participate," according to "Al-Akhbar."
Bo Habib further stated, "Lebanon emphasizes the necessity of assisting and supporting the displaced in their homeland, especially since the security situation in Syria allows for their return, by providing them with material and in-kind aid in their homeland, rather than incentivizing them to remain in other countries, and by launching exemplary projects after the UN early recovery process stumbled in achieving its intended goals." Regarding Al-Miqdad's reference to the political stance of the conference organizers, Bo Habib declared that "Lebanon, which is keen on Syria's stability, security, and the well-being of its brotherly people, always emphasizes the right of the Syrian people to self-determination and its rejection and insistence on non-interference in Syria’s internal affairs. Hence, Lebanon's participation in the Brussels Conference represents an opportunity to raise its voice and attempt to change the international approach to the Syrian crisis by separating the issue of displacement from politics, facilitating Syria's recovery and the return of displaced Syrians to their homeland. The sanctions imposed on Syria are primarily political and a core cause of the severe economic crisis, exacerbating the suffering of the Syrian people."
In concluding his letter, Bo Habib sought to alleviate Syrian concerns, affirming that "Lebanon, which initiated dialogue with the Syrian government regarding the Syrian displacement to its territories and found your responsiveness to solvng this issue during our last visit to Damascus, will strive in coordination with you and the international community to establish a comprehensive plan and practical measures to ensure the dignified and safe return of the displaced to their homes."
The Foreign Minister's letter comes amid the official discussions regarding Lebanon's participation in the conference, with a notable development occurring last Saturday evening, where the issue of Prime Minister Najib Mikati's non-participation in the conference was resolved following a call from President Nabih Berri to the Prime Minister, during which they discussed Lebanon's representation. Berri suggested that the Foreign Minister lead the delegation as an implicit expression of rejecting Syria's absence from the conference and the EU's stance on the issue of displaced persons in Lebanon. The position crystallized with the clarity of the Syrian stance after discussions among Berri, Mikati, and Hezbollah, which considers coordination with the Syrian government on any steps regarding the issue of displaced persons to be essential and non-negotiable. It has become evident that the general lines of the official Lebanese stance emphasize two key points: complete coordination with the Syrian government and ensuring that Syrians benefit from funds allocated for them in the EU's new initiative in Syria rather than in Lebanon.
Mikati announced yesterday that Bo Habib would head the delegation during his reception of EU Ambassador Sandra du Wal, who briefed him on the preparations for the conference. The Prime Minister informed her of the details of the Lebanese delegation.
While the parliamentary session tomorrow is expected to witness populist and electoral posturing from deputies and parliamentary blocs, some of which had differing orientations only recently, a coordination session is supposed to be held today among the representatives of the blocs to agree on a minimum consensus before tomorrow's session, aiming to present a unified Lebanese stance, as all blocs agree on addressing the displacement crisis and the EU's approach to it.
Between the parliamentary session and Brussels 8 set for May 27, there remains another important window for Lebanese-Syrian coordination concerning joint issues, particularly the matter of displaced persons, should the official efforts be serious during the Arab summit in Bahrain, where the Lebanese delegation is expected to be headed by the Prime Minister, while the Syrian delegation will be led by President Bashar Al-Assad. The likelihood of a meeting between the two delegations at the level of foreign ministers is almost certain, yet there is still little information regarding the possibility of a meeting between Al-Assad and Mikati, especially since the latter has not yet officially tasked any of the relevant ministers with coordinating with the Syrian authorities regarding the displaced matter, relying instead on verbal instructions according to "Al-Akhbar."
