Jordan”s King: Lebanon Stability, Sovereignty Are Red Lines

Jordan”s King Abdullah II has stressed that Lebanon”s stability and sovereignty were red lines and urged the country”s bickering parties to reconcile.

 

“I would like to emphasize first that the stability of Lebanon and its sovereignty are red lines,” Abdullah told

Jordan”s Ad-Dustour newspaper.

 

“Work must be done to assist Lebanon in overcoming the political crisis,” Abdullah said when asked if he were optimistic of an exit from the ongoing impasse.

 

“Actually the continuation of the current situation calls for attention and far-sightedness because the differing Lebanese parties, whether opposition or loyalist, should reconcile in order to preserve Lebanon”s sovereignty and independence,” he said.

 

Abdullah said that the three-point Arab League plan was “a valuable opportunity and a foundation from which to achieve national reconciliation that can lead to an end of the crisis.”

 

He stressed that this opportunity “should not be wasted to spare Lebanon of the potential repercussions which could undermine regional security.”

 

On his objectives of his recent visit to Syria, Abdullah said:

 

“Syria is a brotherly Arab neighbor with whom we have common interests, and we are still optimistic about the future of our relations with Syria because we strongly believe that it is an integral part of the Arab world.”

 

He said that he is “very hopeful for the implementation of all agreements reached during the meeting of the Jordanian-Syrian higher committee, which will benefit both peoples.”

 

He said Syria plays an important regional role and hoped for a thaw in relations between Damascus and some Arab states. “The state of estrangement that we see between Syria and some Arab countries is something we cannot accept.”