Syria does not intend to launch a military campaign or intervene militarily in the situation in Lebanon, Syrian transitional President Ahmed al-Sharaa said in an interview with Al Jazeera.

Al-Sharaa noted that most of Lebanon’s land border runs with Syria, so what is happening in the neighboring country directly affects Damascus as well. He also expressed serious concern about a possible escalation of the situation inside Lebanon.

“We do not intend to carry out military intervention in Lebanon,” al-Sharaa said.

According to the president, Syria supports the need for weapons to be held exclusively in the hands of the Lebanese state and for the strengthening of central authority.

“The idea of keeping weapons in the hands of forces outside state authority was promoted for 40 years and led to catastrophic consequences (in the region),” the Syrian leader said.

Al-Sharaa added that the agreement between Lebanon and Israel is developing along a completely different path from the Syrian-Israeli settlement and expressed doubt about its success because of the many gaps it contains.