Former French Foreign Minister and presidential envoy Jean-Yves Le Drian concluded his visit to Lebanon with a meeting with Minister of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants Abdullah Bou Habib at the Ministry, accompanied by French Ambassador to Lebanon Anne Grillo. He briefed Bou Habib on his discussions with various Lebanese parties and will continue his communications soon. Present at the meeting were the Secretary-General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants, Ambassador Hani Shmeitli, the Minister's Chief of Staff Walid Haidar, and diplomat Yusuf Jibr.
On another note, the Israeli army continues its aggression against the Palestinian people in the West Bank, intensifying its military assaults and continuing its policies of settlement expansion, encroachment on more land, and the displacement of Palestinians.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants views this ongoing escalation as a systematic and deliberate destruction of the possibility of establishing an independent Palestinian state, in accordance with international legitimacy resolutions and the Arab Peace Initiative issued at the Beirut Summit (2002).
The Ministry condemns the violation of "the blood, lands, and properties of Palestinians in the occupied territories" and applauds the "Palestinian people's commitment to their legitimate rights and their heroic defense of them."
It also calls on the international community to "be aware of the consequences of neglecting the peace process and the failure to hold Israeli officials accountable for their aggressive policies."
