Speaker Nabih Berri stressed on Wednesday that the will to hold dialogue in Lebanon will always defeat security instability.

Speaker Nabih Berri stressed on Wednesday that the will to hold dialogue in Lebanon will always defeat security instability.

He said: “Despite the tensions, Lebanon is witnessing a period of monetary and security stability.”

He made his statements before an audience of the Lebanese diaspora in Armenia at the end of his three-day trip to the country.

Regarding the developments in the Middle East, the speaker stated that the Palestinian cause is the central issue in the region that should be set as a priority.

“The conflict cannot be settled by recognizing the Palestinian state, which has not and will not happen,” Berri noted.

“Ending the Israeli occupation and its violations should be the main objectives,” he stressed.

On the developments in Syria, he remarked: “Lebanon is urging political reform in the Arab world … and we warn against attempts to take advantage of the unrest in order to create division in the region in a manner that is reminiscent of the Sykes Picot agreement.”

During his trip to Armenia, the speaker gave a speech at the Armenian parliament and paid a visit to the Lebanese Embassy in Yerevan.

Berri was accompanied on his trip by MPs Mohammed Raad and Arthur Nazarian.