Assad Criticizes Lebanon’s Dissociation Policy, Says Aoun’s Election Victory for Syria

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad gestures during an exclusive interview with AFP in the capital Damascus on February 11, 2016. / AFP / JOSEPH EID

Syrian President Bashar Assad said the election of President Michel Aoun for Lebanon’s presidency is a victory for Syria as he stressed that Lebanon can not adopt a dissociation policy, Syrian al-Watan daily reported Thursday.

“The arrival of Aoun at Lebanon’s presidency is a victory for Syria and for the axis of the Resistance, primarily when the president realizes that Lebanon can not be dissociated from the fires blazing around it and despite that adopt what has been named as the dissociation policy,” said Assad in an interview with the daily.

The Syrian President continued to say “Lebanese consensus around the election of Aoun is also a victory for Lebanon. When the president is a national figure who works for the interest of the Lebanese people, Lebanon will become even stronger. When Lebanon is stronger, Syria will be rested and stronger too.”

To a question if Assad had invited Aoun for a visit to Syria, the Syrian President said: “Not yet… now they are occupied with the formation of the cabinet.”