BEIRUT, Oct. 2 (Xinhua) -- Lebanese President Michel Aoun said on Tuesday that the international community's stance towards the return of Syrian refugees to their homeland is not clear, the presidency's website reported.
"Lebanon wants to separate between the return of Syrian refugees to their homeland and the agreement on a political solution in this regard," Aoun said during his meeting with visiting Austrian Foreign Minister Karin Kneissl at Baabda Palace.
"Reaching a political agreement in this regard may take a lot of time while Lebanon's economic, social and security situation have been negatively impacted by the flow of Syrian refugees to the country," he added.
Meanwhile, Kneissl thanked Lebanon for its support to Syrian refugees in the past few years. She called for a gradual solution to end this problem and limit repercussions on Lebanon.
According to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Lebanon hosts 976,000 registered Syrian refugees, while the government estimates the true number of Syrian refugees in the country is 1.5 million.
