The agricultural, industrial and economic unions, in conjunction with the Refrigerated Truck Drivers Union, held a large press conference in the “Al Masna” border area. The conference addressed the repercussions of the recent Syrian measures applied to Lebanese trucks, and witnessed a large official and union presence.
The head of the Land Transport Union, Bassam Tlais, confirmed that relations between Lebanon and Syria are based on agreements aimed at serving the interests of the two peoples, and explained that the recent measures caused great economic harm to both parties.
Tlais stressed the importance of dealing calmly with this issue and dealing with it with comprehensive governmental wisdom. He suggested returning to implementing the previous agreement and applying the principle of “reciprocity” until things return to normal. He also raised the issue of Syrian public cars competing with Lebanese drivers inside Lebanon without any legal exceptions.
For his part, the Director General of Land and Maritime Transport, Ahmed Tamer, warned that the current customs decisions “eliminate the already tired transport sector.” Tamer pointed out that the volume of foreign transport traffic amounts to about 5,000 trucks per month, considering that regional integration between Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, and Iraq is the basis for building a strong supply network.
He stressed that Lebanon has alternatives that guarantee speed and reduce costs if the Syrian government does not back down from its decisions, awaiting a “brotherly” decision that will be issued by an upcoming meeting between the two parties.
In the same context, the head of the Refrigerated Truck Owners Syndicate, Ahmed Deeb Hussein, announced the continuation of the sit-in and the stopping of the trucks while adhering to the principle of reciprocity, and revealed the efforts made by the Director General of Public Security, Major General Hassan Shuqair, to resolve the crisis.
For his part, the head of the Peasants and Farmers Union, Ibrahim al-Tarshishi, described the Syrian decision as “troubled and unbalanced,” stressing that Lebanon is the most affected by the Arab agreements, and that retracting these measures serves the interests of the consumer and producer in the two countries.
