BEIRUT: Syrian Ambassador to Lebanon Ali Abdel-Karim Ali said Wednesday that the lion's share of responsibility for preventing the smuggling of arms across the border lies with Lebanon, not Damascus.

Ali’s comments came following talks with Foreign Minister Adnan Mansour, who briefed him on the latest Arab League meeting in Cairo.

Ali said discussions focused on the situation in Lebanon and Syria and the need for extra border control, “especially since the [Arab] observers’ report pointed to the presence of sophisticated weapons" in the hands of anti-government groups in Syria. He added that in order to prevent such weapons from being smuggled into Syria from Lebanon, "greater and closer cooperation between the two countries" is required.

“Agreements between the two countries require firm implementation by the two sides, but the greater portion of the responsibility falls on Lebanon,” Ali stressed.