Lebanese agriculture Minister Akram Shehayyeb issued a decision banning the entry of vegetable and fruit produce from Syria to Lebanon to “protect Lebanon’s production,” which triggered negative responses from the Syrian side, As Safir daily reported on Thursday.
“We want to protect the Lebanese farmers and their produce in the face of the inflow of Syrian products, mainly during the month of Ramadan,” said Shehayyeb.
The Minster assured that if the Syrian side decided to take a negative decision that harms Lebanese interest, then Lebanon would be obliged to do the same.
“The Syrians use the Rafic Hariri International airport as a transit station to export their commodities. Several planes leave the airport on a weekly basis loaded with Syrian goods. I hope they do not take reckless measures so as not to push us to a decision to cut off this artery on the basis of reciprocity,” warned Shehayeb.
The Minister remarked that shall Syria issue a decision to close the border crossing for Lebanese trucks, “it would not affect us anymore because Syria is no more a conduit for most of the Lebanese products, after securing maritime alternatives,” he said.
The Syrians in Lebanon live in dire situation, where they are not allowed to work and alwayes threatend of being arrested for not having legal papers.
