Lebanon's relations with Syria on the right track, says Sulaiman

Abu Dhabi: Lebanese President Michel Sulaiman has expressed gratitude to President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan for granting 10 Puma helicopters to the Lebanese army after a streak of assassinations that claimed lives of several Lebanese national figures, including Rafik Hariri.

Addressing Lebanese community members in Abu Dhabi late on Tuesday, President Sulaiman also thanked Russia for providing 10 MIG fighters to the Lebanese army, adding that the move demonstrated the world's confidence in Lebanon and its armed forces.

President Sulaiman said his country's relations with Syria were put on the right track.

"We now have a diplomatic representation that embodies the true fraternal ties between Lebanon and Syria. The relations should be maintained through the Lebanese state because it is the state that can protect all (citizens), regardless of their communal and political affiliations," he said.

President Sulaiman criticised Israeli plans to sow division among the Arabs and called for stronger Arab solidarity.

He said the current global financial crisis was a "blessing in disguise" for Lebanon, which enjoys increased deposits and active financial market plus foreign currency assets of over $20 billion.

He urged members of the Lebanese community to remain loyal to the UAE and its leader President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan who "stood by the Lebanese all time and who follows the footsteps of the late Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan." He also urged them to make use of the political and economic stability in their home country by increasing their investments there.