The Minister of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants in the caretaker government, Abdullah Bou Habib, continues his visit to Greece, where he met today with his Greek counterpart, Georgios Gerabetridis. After the meeting, Bou Habib stated: "We have historical ties with Greece, and there is an increasing desire among the Lebanese to invest commercially and in real estate there." He confirmed that they are "pleased with the development of bilateral cooperation between us, and we aspire for more. I agreed with my Greek counterpart on the strong friendship between our two countries. The connection between the shores of the Mediterranean is such that if we catch a cold in Lebanon and the Eastern Mediterranean, the contagion spreads to our European Mediterranean neighbors."
Bou Habib continued: "It was agreed that the comprehensive implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701 ensures stability and calm in southern Lebanon. We have informed our Greek friends that we do not want war, which, if it happens, would explode the entire Middle East." He considered that "the displacement crisis has spiraled out of control due to the lack of sustainable solutions. It has exceeded Lebanon's capacity to bear, and it has started knocking on Cyprus's doors, possibly Greece’s as well." He said: "Therefore, countries like Lebanon, Greece, and Cyprus should think together and work together to change EU policies towards assisting in the return of displaced persons to Syria and supporting them to rebuild their destroyed villages and towns."
Bou Habib thanked Greece for its readiness to convey "Lebanon's voice to the European Union, supporting our demands and considering our concerns." He concluded: "I agreed with my Greek counterpart on the importance of an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, protecting medics and civilians, delivering humanitarian aid, and implementing a two-state solution to end the instability that the Middle East has been living with for decades."
