BEIRUT - Finance Minister Mohammad Safadi stated to As-Safir newspaper today that he rejected all clashes and fighting taking place since May in Tripoli. On the other hand, he confirmed that he will distance himself from the political dialogue regardless to the fact that this will cost him on the electoral rank.

However, Safadi voiced his fear that men still hold weapons in Tripoli and clashes might erupt again in the city. Therefore, he called for a decisive reconciliation reinforced with a cooperating spirit between the Sunnites and the Alawites. Safadi also said that Prime Minister Fouad Siniora acted alone sometimes without the other MPs consent and interfered in the ministers' privileges some other times, the case which happened to him [Safadi] when he was Minister of Public Works and Transport. Safadi said that he is on good terms with Future leader Saad Hariri and believes he will be faithful to the March 14 alliance and to their principles of the independence revolution.

Safadi hoped that President Michel Suleiman's visit to Syria would be the best way to revive normal Lebanese-Syrian relations. He also welcomed Lebanon's dealing with the Syrian cabinet through constitutional institutions to achieve the interests of both countries on the basis of mutual respect of sovereignty, independence, and collaboration.