BEIRUT
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry on Wednesday called on Russia, Iran and the Lebanese Hezbollah movement – all staunch allies of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad – to join efforts aimed at ending the war in Syria, now in its fourth year.
Kerry, during a brief visit to Lebanese capital Beirut, said the war in Syria could only be stopped via peaceful means.
Coming to deliver a message of support for Lebanon and discuss the issue of Syrian refugees, Kerry said his country would donate $290 million in humanitarian assistance for displaced Syrians, both inside and outside the war-torn country.
The amount includes $51 million earmarked specifically for Syrian refugees in Lebanon.
According to the U.N. refugee agency (UNHCR)'s office in Lebanon, over one million Syrian refugees have sought refuge in Lebanon.
A recent World Bank report estimated that total losses suffered by Lebanon due to the ongoing Syria conflict stood at roughly $7.5 billion.
At a press conference held following a meeting with Lebanese Prime Minister Tammam Salam, Kerry stressed Washington's commitment to supporting Lebanon's security and its national army and said it was vital that Lebanon select a new president.
The Lebanese presidency has stood vacant since president Michel Suleiman's six-year term expired last month. Since then, parliament has tried and failed – on five separate occasions – to choose a successor.
By Gad Yateem
www.aa.com.tr/en
