BEIRUT: Lebanon’s foreign minister defended Sunday his government’s disassociation with a U.N. Security Council statement last week condemning the violence in Syria, adding that the decision did not imply a confrontation with the international community.

“Lebanon’s position at the [U.N.] Security Council toward events in Syria stems from its convictions of the historic and [sisterly] relations [with Syria] and shared interests between the two countries,” Adnan Mansour told a local radio station.

“The decision was a positive one because we cannot go along with a decision that condemns Syria or one that opposes it. Since independence, we, until today, have taken a positive policy toward [sisterly states], particularly Syria.”

Lebanese lawmakers and public figures have been voicing mixed reactions over Lebanon’s decision Wednesday to distance itself from a U.N. Security Council statement condemning the violence in Syria.

Opposition and human rights groups say over 1,600 civilians have been killed in a deadly crackdown launched by President Bashar Assad in March when protests began. Damascus blames “terrorist gangs” for the civilian deaths and says the unrest in his country is part of a conspiracy.

While members of the March 8 alliance have defended Lebanon’s position, saying it was based on the Cabinet’s policy not to intervene in Syria’s internal affairs, member of the rival March 14 coalition in the opposition have described it as shameful,  saying that the country had failed to voice support for human rights.

Referring to those casting doubts on Lebanon’s foreign policy, Mansour said: “When Lebanon chose to distance itself from the statement condemning Syria, it did not do any harm to either of the two countries and we did not go along with it because it dealt with condemning the Syrian regime.”

“Lebanon’s stance does not imply any confrontation with the international community,” he added.

The foreign minister also denied reports that Nawaf Salam, Lebanon’s ambassador to the United Nations, had resigned, saying: “His [Salam’s] absence from the Security Council meeting was due to personal family reasons and has no relationship to Lebanon’s position on the Security Council [statement] on Syria.”

Mansour also spoke about his upcoming visit to Syria and said it came within the context of bilateral relations between the two countries, noting that there was the possibility that he would meet with Assad.

The foreign minister also said the posts for diplomatic missions would be assigned “in the near future.”