Lebanon appeals for int'l help for hosting refugees

Lebanon appealed on Saturday to the international community for more financial assistance to help the country care for 1.5 million Syrian refugees.

"Lebanon needs assistance from its friends and the international community to care for the refugees," Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri said after a meeting with Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades in Nicosia.

He added that he requested EU member Cyprus to mediate with EU to increase its refugee financial assistance to his country.

"We host one and a half million Syrian refugees and we have a humanitarian and moral obligation to help these people," Hariri told reporters after a 90-minute meeting with Anastasiades.

He said that he and Anastasiades discussed ways to tighten bilateral commercial, tourist and energy relations between the two eastern Mediterranean neighbors.

Anastasiades said that he looks forward to host the next trilateral summit between Cyprus, Lebanon and Greece to promote regional and energy cooperation in the light of natural gas discoveries in the Levantine basin.