29 Mar 2024


Sputnik - Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, in an interview with Sputnik, has commented on the issues of settling the Syrian conflict, Lebanon-Iran cooperation and the US Embassys relocation to Jerusalem.




If the Hezbollah movement was not present inSyria, Daesh* militants would have reached Lebanon, Lebanese parliament speaker Nabih Berri said.
"As forHezbollah, it is inits own country, because if it had not been forHezbollah there [in Syria], Daesh would have been here [in Lebanon]," Berri said.


The parliament speaker noted that Lebanon and Syria were "like twins," asnearly 1.5 million Syrians reside inLebanon.
"We do not consider them outsiders Everything that happens inSyria affects Lebanon," Berri stressed.


The Lebanese Shiite Hezbollah movement and Iran will not leave Syria untilthe country is fully liberated fromterrorists and restores its territorial integrity, Lebanese parliament speaker and Hezbollah's closest ally inthe country Nabih Berri told Sputnik.

The Lebanese parliamentary speaker noted that Iranian troops were present inSyria atthe request ofthe Syrian leadership, just likethe Russian Aerospace Forces, while the United States, which has demanded the withdrawal ofHezbollah and Iran, had deployed their troops inthe country withoutthe permission ofthe Syrian government.
"[These forces will not be withdrawn] untilSyria is liberated and regains its territorial integrity," Berri said.


The Syrian crisis cannot be settled withoutnegotiations betweenRussia, the United States, Turkey, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and one ofEU states, Berri said.
"I believe that withoutnegotiations betweenRussia, the United States, Turkey, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and atleast one European country, whether it is France or any other [country], it is impossible toresolve the Syrian crisis Political solution cannot be reached withoutagreement betweenthese parties," Berri said.


France has not requested Lebanon tomediate inorganizing talks betweenthe regional countries onSyria, Berri said.
"Lebanon does not play any role inthis topic. It, ofcourse, can benefit fromthe settlement inSyria, butit cannot impose this decision," Berri said, when asked whether France had requested Lebanon's help inorganizing regional talks onSyria.


France and the United States have not asked Lebanon toassist inestablishing contact withSyrian President Bashar al-Assad, the parliament speaker added.

"No. What happened is an exceptional event inhistory. I do not think that there was something likethis, atsuch a level inhistory," Berri said, when asked whether Washington had asked forBeirut's assistance incontacts withTehran.

In late May, French President Emmanuel Macron said that dialogue withDamascus, aswell aswith opposition and all the regional powers, which were interested instability, was necessary toachieve political settlement inSyria.

US Embassy's relocation toJerusalem

The relocation ofthe US Embassy toJerusalem delays the prospects fora settlement inthe region, Berri said.
"Of course. Negotiations cannot be successful withoutJerusalem. Earlier, disagreements overJerusalem were onthe ground, butnow they have moved toheaven," Berry said, answering the question whether such a step puts such an opportunity outof reach."


In December 2017, US President Donald Trump recognized Jerusalem asthe capital ofIsrael and ordered the US embassy tobe relocated there fromTel Aviv. The decision fueled unrest acrossthe Middle East and has been condemned bya lot ofother countries.

Lebanon-Iran Cooperation

The US sanctions againstIran are unlikely toaffect Beirut's strong cooperation withTehran, Nabih Berri stated.
"We have excellent relations withTehran, there has not been anything new [in the light ofthe US Iran-related sanctions]," Berri said.


The politician, however, noted that the Lebanese government would have toadhere tothe US sanctions regime.
"My reaction is one thing, the reaction ofthe Lebanese government, asthe official one, is another. The Lebanese government has toabide bythe sanctions. If there are sanctions againsta certain individual, it cannot interact withhim. It will not place him intocustody, butwill ban his interaction withany [national] bank," Berri explained.


In late May, Washington imposed sanctions onsix individuals and three entities inIran overtheir alleged role inhuman rights abuses. The sanctions target Director-General ofthe Islamic Republic ofIran Broadcasting Abdulali Ali-Asgari, Ansar-e Hezbollah leaders Hossein Allahkarah, Abdolhamid Mohtasham and Hamid Ostad, Secretary ofIran's Supreme Cyberspace Council Abolhassan Firouzabadi and Iranian judiciary official Abdolsamad Khoramabadi. The restrictions also affect the Ansar-e Hezbollah paramilitary organization, Evin Prison and Hanista Programing Group.

On May 8, US President Donald Trump announced his decision towithdraw the United States fromthe Iran nuclear deal, formally known asthe Joint Comprehensive Plan ofAction, and toreinstate sanctions related toTehrans nuclear program.

*Daesh (also known asISIS/ISIL/IS) is a terrorist group banned inRussia

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