Saudi FM Calls for Unity of Libyan Territories

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud speaks at the fourth session of the second legislative term of the Arab Parliament in Cairo. (SPA)
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud speaks at the fourth session of the second legislative term of the Arab Parliament in Cairo. (SPA)
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Saudi FM Calls for Unity of Libyan Territories

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud speaks at the fourth session of the second legislative term of the Arab Parliament in Cairo. (SPA)
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud speaks at the fourth session of the second legislative term of the Arab Parliament in Cairo. (SPA)

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud has called for preserving the unity and integrity of the Libyan territories and regional sovereignty.

In his speech before the Arab Parliament in Cairo on Wednesday, he noted that the Arab region is undergoing changes and challenges that impact the security, economic and political aspects.

The Kingdom continues to call on our Libyan brothers to show restraint and put the higher interest of the country above everything by preserving the unity and integrity of the Libyan territories and regional sovereignty in addition to establishing a real national dialogue leading to a comprehensive peace among all parties, Prince Faisal added.

The minister outlined the political, economic and security challenges facing many Arab countries, and called on Arab states to take action in order to consolidate stability and development.

He affirmed that Saudi Arabia’s policy is based on the principles of peaceful coexistence and good neighborliness, respect for the sovereignty and independence of states, non-interference in their internal affairs, and solving disputes by peaceful means within international law.

Meanwhile, Libyan parliament Speaker Aguila Saleh stressed the importance of providing Arab support to the Libyans and activating the Treaty of Joint Defence and Economic Cooperation of the League of Arab States since it is the only solution.

Saleh asked the Arab Parliament to withdraw its recognition of Libya's Government of National Accord (GNA) presidential council due to its violation of the constitutional declaration and the political agreement of Skhirat.

President of the Arab Parliament Dr. Mishaal bin Fahm al-Salami has warned of the danger of aggressive plans by countries to revive their colonial ambitions via forming militias and proxies inside Arab societies and dispatching forces that violate the sovereignty of Arab states.

Salami said that rapid developments in the Arab world had reached dangerous levels, in light of conflicts and external interference in some Arab countries, and the threat this posed to security.

In the concluding statement, he welcomed the announcement of the recent ceasefire, calling on all parties to abide by it to help reach a comprehensive political solution to the crisis.

He also stressed the parliament’s rejection of the decision issued by the Turkish Parliament regarding sending military forces to Libya, in violation of UN Security Council resolutions prohibiting the supply of weapons to Libya.



Syrian Returns from Lebanon to Start under UN-backed Plan

FILE PHOTO: A Syrian refugee walks near tents, at an informal settlement, in Al-Marj, in Bekaa, Lebanon April 5, 2023. REUTERS/Emilie Madi/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: A Syrian refugee walks near tents, at an informal settlement, in Al-Marj, in Bekaa, Lebanon April 5, 2023. REUTERS/Emilie Madi/File Photo
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Syrian Returns from Lebanon to Start under UN-backed Plan

FILE PHOTO: A Syrian refugee walks near tents, at an informal settlement, in Al-Marj, in Bekaa, Lebanon April 5, 2023. REUTERS/Emilie Madi/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: A Syrian refugee walks near tents, at an informal settlement, in Al-Marj, in Bekaa, Lebanon April 5, 2023. REUTERS/Emilie Madi/File Photo

Thousands of Syrian refugees are set to return from Lebanon this week under the first, UN-backed plan providing financial incentives, after Syria's new rulers said all citizens were welcome home despite deep war damage and security concerns.

Returning Syrians will be provided with $100 each in Lebanon and $400 per family upon arrival in Syria, Lebanese Social Affairs Minister Haneen Sayed said. Transport is also covered and fees have been waived by border authorities, she said.

"I think it's a good and important start. We have discussed and are coordinating this with our Syrian counterparts and I think the numbers will increase in the coming weeks," Sayed told Reuters. A Syrian interior ministry spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment.

More than 6 million Syrians fled as refugees after conflict broke out in Syria in 2011, with most heading to Türkiye, Lebanon and Jordan. Lebanon has the highest concentration of refugees per capita in the world, hosting about 1.5 million Syrians among a population of about 4 million Lebanese.

Some 11,000 have registered to return from Lebanon in the first week, and the government targets between 200,000 and 400,000 returns this year under the plan, Sayed said.

The Lebanese government is focused on informal tented settlements in the country, where some 200,000 refugees live, she added, and may provide Syrian breadwinners who stay in Lebanon with work permits for sectors such as agriculture and construction if their families return to Syria.

UN agencies previously viewed Syria as unsafe for large-scale returns due to uncertainty over security and persecution by the government of Bashar al-Assad, who was toppled in December.

That has changed.

Since taking over, the new Syrian government has said all Syrians are welcome home. A UN survey from earlier this year showed nearly 30% of refugees living in Middle Eastern countries wanted to go back, up from 2% when Assad was in power.

"While the situation in Syria continues to rapidly evolve, (UN refugee agency) UNHCR considers the current context a positive opportunity for larger numbers of Syrian refugees to return home, or to begin considering return in a realistic and durable way," Ivo Freijsen, UNHCR Representative in Lebanon, told Reuters.

As of the end of June 2025, UNHCR estimated that over 628,000 Syrians had crossed back to Syria via neighboring countries since 8 December 2024, including 191,000 via Lebanon.