BEIRUT: Foreign Minister Adnan Mansour reassured Bahraini officials Tuesday that statements on popular protests in Bahrain made by Lebanese politicians did not reflect the government’s position.

In Manama, Mansour met Bahrain’s Deputy Premier Sheikh Ali bin Khalifa al-Khalifa and Foreign Minister Sheikh Khaled bin Ahmad al-Khalifa to discuss expanding bilateral relations, the National News Agency said.

The minister reassured his hosts that Lebanon’s policy is not to intervene in the internal affairs of any country.

“Lebanon has adopted this principle since its independence [in 1943]. Any statement made by any political party in Lebanon expresses only its own opinion and does not reflect the Lebanese government’s position,” Mansour said, according to the NNA.

Bahrain has protested against remarks made recently by Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun, who criticized the international community for its stance on Bahraini unrest.

Following complaints by Gulf states, Prime Minister Najib Mikati disavowed Aoun’s remarks and telephoned his Bahraini counterpart, saying that the FPM leader’s comments did not reflect the government’s stance.