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Controversy on Invitation of Syrian Regime to Economic Summit in Beirut

Police forces gather outside the parliament building in Downtown Beirut November 5, 2014. REUTERS/Jamal Saidi.
Police forces gather outside the parliament building in Downtown Beirut November 5, 2014. REUTERS/Jamal Saidi.
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Controversy on Invitation of Syrian Regime to Economic Summit in Beirut

Police forces gather outside the parliament building in Downtown Beirut November 5, 2014. REUTERS/Jamal Saidi.
Police forces gather outside the parliament building in Downtown Beirut November 5, 2014. REUTERS/Jamal Saidi.

A possible invitation to the Syrian regime to attend the 2019 Arab Economic Summit expected in Beirut on January 20 has drawn controversy in Lebanon.

Political parties loyal to Damascus, including Hezbollah, have been exerting pressure on officials to convince them into inviting the Assad regime to the summit.

However, parties loyal to the March 14 coalition have warned from the repercussions of such invitation, particularly if taken without the consent of the Arab League.

They also said such decision could further push Lebanon into the Iranian sphere of influence.

The summit is largely important for Lebanon since Beirut hosted the Arab Summit in 2002.

Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri's economic adviser Nadim Munla downplayed the impact of failing to invite Syria to the summit.

Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat, Munla said Lebanon is a hosting country but not responsible for deciding which state to invite.

“Such a decision is taken by the Arab League,” he said, adding that Beirut would respect the organization’s choices.

For his part, MP Yassine Jaber from the Amal Movement’s parliamentary bloc said he hoped Lebanon had not hosted the event because the country “does not need additional problems.”

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Lebanese President Says Disarmament Decision Has Been Taken

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun at the Maronite Patriarchate on Easter morning (Lebanese Presidency)
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun at the Maronite Patriarchate on Easter morning (Lebanese Presidency)
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Lebanese President Says Disarmament Decision Has Been Taken

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun at the Maronite Patriarchate on Easter morning (Lebanese Presidency)
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun at the Maronite Patriarchate on Easter morning (Lebanese Presidency)

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun affirmed on Sunday that the decision to confine all arms to the state has already been made, but he emphasized that its enforcement hinges on the “right conditions” to determine the timing and method.
Aoun’s statement came two days after Hezbollah Deputy Secretary-General Naim Qassem firmly rejected any possibility of disarmament. “We will not allow anyone to disarm Hezbollah or the resistance,” Qassem had said in a televised address.
He warned that Hezbollah has “other options,” though he stopped short of specifying them.
Qassem also claimed that Hezbollah has successfully thwarted Israel’s objectives in southern Lebanon, and revealed that “positive messages” had been exchanged with President Aoun regarding the implementation of the ceasefire agreement.

Aoun
Following an Easter Mass and a closed-door meeting with Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi, Aoun reiterated his stance on confining weapons to the state, emphasizing that the matter “should not be debated through media or social platforms, but rather approached with national responsibility and without provocation”.
He added that the nation’s best interest must always come first, reaffirming that his call, as mentioned in his inaugural address, for exclusive state control over arms was not mere words.
“When I spoke of the state’s exclusive right to arms in my oath of office, it wasn’t just words. I said it because I firmly believe that the Lebanese people do not want war and can no longer bear its consequences or even the language of war,” he said.
In addressing the challenges facing this matter and how to reconcile between external pressures on Lebanon and internal calls for a more gradual approach, Aoun said: “We must address the matter responsibly and with composure because it is a sensitive and fundamental matter for preserving civil peace”.
President Joseph Aoun reiterated his call for internal dialogue as the only viable path to resolve contentious national issues, including the question of Hezbollah’s arms. He warned against confrontation, which he said could lead Lebanon toward destruction.
Patriarch Al-Rahi
Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi, during his Easter Mass sermon, voiced strong support for Aoun’s position on state sovereignty and the monopoly of arms.
Rahi endorsed Aoun’s message that "only the state can protect us—a strong, sovereign, and just state, born from the will of the Lebanese people and committed to their well-being, peace, and prosperity."