The United Arab Emirates will expel 70 Lebanese nationals within the next 24 hours, Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil said Friday.

The United Arab Emirates will expel 70 Lebanese nationals within the next 24 hours, Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil said Friday.

"The ministry of foreign affairs was informed by the Lebanese embassy in the Emirates that 70 Lebanese will be deported by the authorities in the next 24 hours," Bassil told Agence France Presse.

He was unable to give a reason for the expulsions.

For its part, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced in a statement Friday that Bassil had on Thursday informed Prime Minister Tammam Salam and the cabinet during its session of the development.

He then held a series of contacts over the issue, which involved a phone call with Emirati Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, the ministry added.

It underlined in its statement that it has recently sought to “return the Lebanese-UAE ties to their best form.”

“This was reflected in reappointing an Emirati ambassador to Lebanon and in launching a discussion over all consular, diplomatic and political disputes,” the Lebanese ministry added.

It also explained that “the Lebanese living in the UAE are fully integrated in the Emirati society and they abide by the Emirati laws,” describing them as “an element of welfare and prosperity for this dear country.”

Well-informed sources told Al-Manar that UAE's move of deporting the Lebanese will not be extended to the rest of the Gulf states.