BEIRUT, Feb. 21 (Xinhua) -- Lebanese ministers said on Thursday that the relations with Syria topped the agenda of the first meeting of the new cabinet which won the parliament's vote of confidence last week, National News Agency (NNA) reported.
"The government's first session focused much on the issue of the relations with Syria," Lebanese Finance Minister Ali Hassan Khalil was quoted as saying by the NNA.
Ministers from different parties voiced their different points of views about ties with Syria.
Khalil said his party, the Amal Movement, emphasized the need to expand relations with Syria as it is in the interests of Lebanon.
Meanwhile, Minister of State for the Displaced Saleh Gharib declared after the meeting that he will work on solving the issue of the Syrian refugees in a way that meets Lebanon's interests.
"Our direct contact with Syria is in Lebanon's interests because it will solve the Syrian refugees' issue and reduce the burden on the Lebanese economy," he said.
Gharib visited Syria on Monday to discuss with the Syrian government the issue of the Syrian refugees' return to their homeland from Lebanon.
However, Gharib did not get an official approval from Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri to visit Syria over the issue of refugees, local newspaper Asharq al-Awsat quoted ministerial sources as saying.
May Chidiac, Lebanese Minister of State for Administrative Development, also said the cabinet agreed that refugees must return to their homeland despite disputes over the relations with Syria.
"Some of the ministers in the cabinet forgot that the Syrian regime placed Hariri on the list of terrorists," said Chidiac, who belongs to the Lebanese Forces party allied with the Future Movement headed by Hariri.
