(AP) The president of Cyprus said on Tuesday that he has personally asked the head of the European Union’s executive arm to intercede with Lebanese authorities to stop boatloads of Syrian refugees from heading to the east Mediterranean island nation.
President Nikos Christodoulides told reporters that Lebanon is the beneficiary of significant EU financial aid for both its own citizens and for the hundreds of thousands of Syrian refugees it continues to host, but that doesn’t come without strings attached.
“This aid can’t be given while we have to deal with this issue,” Christodoulides said, adding that he personally spoke with EU Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen.
