German Chancellor Angela Merkel telephoned President Michel Suleiman, lauding his role in preserving stability in Lebanon and hoping that a new cabinet would be formed soon, Baabda palace said Friday. A presidential statement said that Merkel also expressed support to Lebanon’s call for a U.N.-led international conference to discuss the issue of Syrian refugees. Their talks focused on bilateral relations, it said.

 

Lebanon’s envoy to the U.N. Nawwaf Salam warned on Thursday that the number of Syrians in Lebanon could reach 1.2 million by the end of 2013. [Link]