Beirut- Prime Minister Saad Hariri has said it was the duty of the Lebanese to preserve stability and the country’s principles.

“We are Arabs, united with our Arab brothers in facing the Israeli enemy and any neighbor that wants to interfere in the internal affairs of the Arabs,” Hariri said on Friday during an Iftar held at the Rashid Karame International Fair in the northern city of Tripoli.

“We are with the state, our project is the state and we reject any weapon other than the weapon of the state,” he said.

“We are against any interference in the Syrian war and specifically against Hezbollah’s involvement in this war. Our position from the Assad regime is known, and we firmly believe that the Syrian people will triumph sooner or later. We are the people of moderation and coexistence, against any extremism, discord or marginalization,” Hariri stressed.

“Tripoli is among the Arab and Islamic cities that refused to allow terrorism in its neighborhoods,” he said. “The deprived people in Tripoli, who defended the dignity of the city and its Arabism, did not create a favorable atmosphere for terrorism because their faith is real, because they were raised on the real values of Islam and because their Arab and Islamic immunity is stronger than any conspiracy, extremism or misguidance.”

Describing Tripoli as the capital of “moderation,” Hariri said: “All the Lebanese, Arabs and Muslims have to pay back this debt to Tripoli, starting with a fair and just amnesty law.”

Hariri said in his speech that he was not proud in Tripoli being the poorest city on the Mediterranean.

Confronted with this reality, there are two options, he said. “Either continue to look back and regret or look forward and work for Tripoli.”

“Today, Tripoli is a development process in itself,” he added.