Mansour reiterates rejection of sanctions on Syria

Foreign Minister Adnan Mansour said in remarks published on Saturday that it was not shameful to reject economic sanctions on Syria. “Is it shameful to wish security and stability for Syria? Is it shameful to reject foreign intervention in Syrian affairs? Is it shameful to reject economic and trade sanctions on Syria?” Mansour asked during an interview with As-Safir newspaper. He also said that Lebanon disassociates itself from the international resolutions on Syria, “but we do not deny our affection toward Syria.” Asked about the results of the talks with Cypriot Foreign Minister Erato Kozakou Marcoullis regarding the maritime border, Mansour said that “Lebanon welcomes the mediation of the US.” In 2010, Israel and the internationally recognized Cyprus Republic signed an agreement for the delimitation of their maritime economic zones in the Mediterranean. The Lebanese Parliament in August 2010 passed an oil exploration bill, which calls for the establishment of a treasury and a committee to oversee exploration and drilling off the coast of Lebanon. Meanwhile, Syria has witnessed anti-regime protests since mid-March 2011. The United Nations estimated that more than 8,000 people have been killed in the regime’s crackdown on dissent. Lebanon’s political scene is split between supporters of Assad’s regime, led by Hezbollah, and the pro-Western March 14 camp.