In an interview with Al-Manar Website, State Minister Ali Qanso said the UNSC statement against Syria was unfair, and reassured that the Army-People-Resistance formula will protect Lebanon’s wealth.

Minister Ali Qanso to Al-Manar Website:
UNSC Statement Unfair… Syria Will Triumph
In Syria Conspiracy Seeking to Destroy Region
March 14 Forces… Part of American Policy
Lebanon’s Interest to Stand at Syria’s Side
Lebanon Should Be Ready for Any Conflict
Army-People-Resistance Will Protect Wealth

State Minister in the Lebanese government Ali Qanso said Lebanon has no interest in standing at the side of the American administration in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC). He noted that Lebanon’s interest was to stand at Syria’s side in the face of the pressuring and unfair campaign launched by the so-called international community against it.

In an exclusive interview with Al-Manar Website, Minister Qanso did not find strange the stances made by some Lebanese political forces, mainly the March 14 bloc. He said this bloc has become an essential part of the American policy towards Syria, Lebanon and the region. He stressed that these forces were not concerned with Lebanon’s interest. 

Minister Qanso said that the UNSC presidential statement against Syria was unfair despite being a product of a compromise, and warned that the latest developments in Syria reflected a serious conspiracy seeking to destroy the whole region, not only Syria.

Minister Qanso, meanwhile, hailed the Lebanese Parliament’s approval of law on the delineation of Lebanon’s maritime border as the major step in a series of steps requested from Lebanon. He stressed the need that Lebanon remains prepared for any possible conflict with the Zionist enemy “which is not hiding its greed in Lebanon’s natural wealth.” He called for resorting the famous Army-People-Resistance formula to protect this wealth.

UNSC STATEMENT UNFAIR!

Minister Ali Qanso commented on the UNSC presidential statement against Syria, and noted how some powerful states within the Security Council were seeking, since the beginning of the crisis in Syria, to issue statements that go beyond condemning the regime. However, he said, the stance made by Russia, alongside China, India and also Lebanon, has prevented the American administration, France, Germany and the United Kingdom from achieving their goals.

Qanso noted that the final statement issued by the UNSC presidency was a product of a compromise between the two trends: the one represented by the American administration, and the one represented by Russia and China.

Yet, Qanso rejected the statement as a representation of the international unfairness against states seeking to protect their sovereignty, freedom, national unity, stability and security, in reference to Syria. He believed this statement was unfair, and said that a real conspiracy was taking place in Syria and seeking to destroy the whole region. Yet, he stressed that Syria was working to abort and put an end to this conspiracy by protecting its security, stability and unity.

ACCUSING SYRIA… INACCURATE

While noting that the attempts of accusing Syria of suppressing freedoms were inaccurate, he said that the American administration was seeking to impose bigger sanctions against Syria. “According to the American administration’s dictionary, Syria is not allowed to have this national and resistant role, to be the resistance’s ally or to have a strategic alliance with the Islamic Republic in Iran,” he said.

Minister Qanso stressed that the American administration was seeking to dismantle Syria from its national principles. Yet, he stressed that Syria will remain stronger and will emerge out of the crisis even stronger than ever, as stated by President Bashar Assad.

MARCH 14… PART OF US POLICY

Turning to Lebanon’s position of disassociating itself from the presidential statement condemning Syria and the internal reactions to it, Minister Qanso said he did not find strange the stance made by the so-called March 14 forces which claimed that this position was disgraceful. He said this bloc turned to be an essential part of the American policy towards Syria, Lebanon and the region. He added that this bloc was not okay with the idea of standing at Syria’s side “and favored to be in harmony with the American stance.” He explained that these forces were not concerned with Lebanon’s interest, and that their priority was their political considerations and their blind subjection to the American policy.

The state minister said that Lebanon has no interest in standing at the side of the American administration in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC). He noted that Lebanon’s interest was to stand at Syria’s side in the face of the pressuring and unfair campaign launched by the so-called international community against it.

He warned that the conspiracy targeting Syria was not only threatening Syria but also Lebanon and its strength points, at the top of which comes the resistance.

ADOPTING MARITIME BORDER LAW… MAJOR STEP

To conclude, Minister Qanso tackled the Parliament’s approval of the draft law on the delineation of Lebanon’s maritime border after introducing an amendment to article 6, two days after the cabinet’s adoption of the decree.

Qanso hailed the step as the major one in a series of steps expected from Lebanon during the upcoming phase. He said this step was essential because this law would constitute the legal and official document that confirms Lebanon’s maritime border and would also constitute a document to be transmitted to the UNSC where it would be the base of proving Lebanon’s right in its gas and oil wealth.

According to Qanso, the practical steps of the gas and oil battle have thus started, mainly at the level of exploring the maritime resources. Yet, he said that Lebanon should be ready for any potential conflict with the Zionist entity “which is not hiding its greediness in our wealth.”

In this context, Minister Qanso spoke of a number of strength factors in Lebanon. “First, we have the power represented by our right, as stipulated by the law. Second, we should mobilize our diplomatic relations to protect our rights and therefore, we should hold the United Nations Security Council responsible of protecting Lebanon’s rights. Otherwise, the UNSC would be exposing the whole region to what could threaten the international stability and security.”

“At the end, and in case the Israeli enemy insisted on attacking Lebanon’s wealth, then Lebanon would resort to its Army-People-Resistance formula to safeguard its fortunes, just like it did to liberate its land,” Minister Qanso concluded.