Nasri Khoury likes to keep his job

Secretary-General of the Syrian-Lebanese Higher Council Nasri Khoury wants to keep his job . He reiterated on Tuesday that the presence of embassies in Lebanon and Syria does not contradict with the functions of the council.

In remarks to LBC TV network, Khoury said: “Until now, as a secretary-general my authorities did not interfere with the authorities of the Syrian ambassador Ali Abdul Karim Ali or the Lebanese ambassador in Damascus Michel Khoury.”

Khoury also said that as long as treaties between Lebanon and Syria are still valid, the council can continue its work and meetings pending the two sides’ decision to make the necessary amendments.

“Syria has made suggestions to amend the treaties of transportation and investments, while Lebanon suggested the transfer of convicted criminals between the two countries,” he said.

“We are now in a new stage in Syrian-Lebanese ties that herald in the return of things to their natural course, particularly after the two sides agreed on a new road map that governs such a relationship,” he told LBC.

Others disagree

Change and Reform bloc MP Ghassan Mokheiber told LBC on Tuesday that the Lebanese-Syrian superior council contradicts the Constitution and didn’t help improving relations between the two countries. He stressed the necessity to remove any obstacles that would harm bilateral relations.

Mokheiber stated that the council included “a mixture” of figures that were not entitled to sign any agreement or tie any relation. He emphasized the importance of reconsidering the agreements signed between the countries namely the fraternity and cooperation agreement.

Headquarters in Syria

The council’s headquarters are in Syria and many in Lebanon accuse Khoury , a member of the Syrian Social Nationalist Party ( SSNP) of bias towards Syria and see no justification for the council after Lebanon and Syria established diplomatic relations and embassies were opened in both Damascus and Beirut