Lebanon's Minister of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants, Abdullah Bou Habib, met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who thanked him for Lebanon's balanced stance on the Ukrainian conflict. The two ministers agreed on the importance of respecting human rights in all conflicts and avoiding double standards. They also discussed the provocations faced by Lebanon and the attempts to drag it into war. Moreover, they emphasized the necessity of Palestinian unity to reach an independent Palestinian state.
Algerian Foreign Minister Ahmed Attaf informed Minister Bou Habib during their meeting about Algeria's support for Lebanon and the Palestinian cause, positioning itself as a representative of the Arab voice in the UN Security Council to restore rights to their rightful owners. The two ministers agreed on the significance and necessity of American pressure on Israel to accept a peaceful resolution to the conflict, in accordance with international legitimacy resolutions.
Minister Bou Habib also held a meeting with Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi, where they discussed the situation in the Middle East and agreed on an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and the two-state solution. Minister Bou Habib thanked his Indonesian counterpart for the constructive role played by the Indonesian battalion within UNIFIL, which is currently the largest, emphasizing Lebanon's commitment to its work and safety.
Additionally, Minister Bou Habib delivered a lecture at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York, outlining Lebanon's position supporting the restoration of calm and security in the south through Israel's withdrawal from all Lebanese territories it still occupies, particularly the Shebaa Farms, and the cessation of violations.
He noted the request made by the Prime Minister during the refugee conference in Geneva for the High Commissioner for Refugees to start pilot programs for the safe return of Syrians to their villages, as their continued presence without solutions in Lebanon threatens the security and stability of the region. Minister Bou Habib reaffirmed the Arab desire to end the conflict by finding a fair, comprehensive, and sustainable peace based on a two-state solution and the Arab Peace Initiative issued at the Beirut Summit in 2002, to ensure the success of the peace project in the region.
At the close of the first day's meetings, he met with Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, where they confirmed the necessity of stopping the war and the dangers of its continuation for the situation in the Middle East. The Iranian minister briefed his Lebanese counterpart on political communications and the Iranian initiative to end the conflict. Following this, Minister Bou Habib attended a dinner invitation from the Norwegian Foreign Minister, along with foreign ministers from Turkey and Algeria, and heads of diplomatic missions at the United Nations in New York.
