BEIRUT: Foreign Minister Adnan Mansour Tuesday lambasted last week’s Arab League decisions on Syria, describing them as “dangerous” and saying they ran contrary to Lebanon’s interest.

He spoke to reporters after meeting Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun at his residence in Rabieh, north of Beirut. Referring to the Arab League’s decisions, Mansour said: “As you know, Lebanon has expressed reservations over the decisions because they carried dangerous articles which do not conform with Lebanon’s position.”

Mansour said, for example, that one of the League’s decisions calls for halting diplomatic relations with Syria, including at international conferences and forums.

“This subject does not conform with Lebanon’s stance, especially since we had for many years demanded the establishment of diplomatic relations with Syria,” he said.

“Today, the severance of relations is difficult for Lebanon and we cannot do it. There is also an article calling for suspending trade relations, especially the imposition of additional economic sanctions [on Syria].

This harms Lebanon before it harms Syria,” Mansour added. During their meeting in Cairo last Sunday, Arab foreign ministers agreed to open channels of communication with the Syrian opposition and provide it with political and financial support.

They also asked the United Nations to send a peacekeeping force to Syria. Lebanon and Algeria expressed reservations over the resolution.