Press TV - Lebanons foreign minister warns that his country should not be treated as a plaything by any country, as he continues his foreign tour aimed at securing the return of Prime Minister Saad Hariri, who is said to be under house arrest in Saudi Arabia after he was forced to resign.
Lebanon is not a toy in others hands, Lebanons Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil said at a joint press conference with his German counterpart, Sigmar Gabriel, in Berlin on Thursday.
Bassil has been touring European capitals to lobby for Hariris return. The premier has been in Saudi Arabia since he shockingly announced his resignation in Riyadh on November 4.
Gabriel said he shared concerns about the threat of instability and bloodshed in Lebanon and, without mentioning Saudi Arabia directly, warned against the adventurism behind the Lebanon crisis and the human tragedy in Yemen.
We expect that Prime Minister Hariri can come back to Beirut, he added.
Saudi Arabia has been bombing Yemen since 2015 to restore its Riyadh-allied government, killing many thousands in the process.
Bassil, for his part, said, the Hariri issue is actually a matter of Lebanons sovereignty, and called on Arab countries to not interfere with Lebanons internal matters.
The Lebanese foreign minister also said further turmoil in his country, which is already hosting thousands of refugees fleeing violence in neighboring Syria, would create a new influxof asylum seekers to Europe.
Bassil also visited Turkey on Thursday and is to travel to Russia on Friday, where he is about tomeet with Russias top diplomat, Sergei Lavrov.
[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="555"]
Lebanese Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil (L) looks on as his Turkish counterpart, Mevlut Cavusoglu, gestures while addressing a joint press conference following their meeting in Ankara on November 16, 2017. (Photo by AFP)[/caption]At a joint presser with Bassil, Turkeys Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu urged Hariris immediate return.
We support Lebanons unity, integrity and stability, and we oppose any development that would risk Lebanons stability, he said.
Lebanon does not need any other problems. On the contrary, we need to contribute to the solution of the existing problems.
Bassil also held talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
