Caretaker Minister of Foreign Affairs, Abdallah Bou Habib, began his international tour in Brussels on Wednesday, where he met with several officials from the European Union (EU) to discuss ways to prevent a large-scale war in Lebanon and the region.
Within this context, the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, hosted the caretaker minister for lunch, during which they extensively discussed the current situation. Borrell and Bou Habib discussed potential EU involvement to ease tensions in South Lebanon.
This meeting was followed by a gathering between the Lebanese Foreign Minister and the Political and Security Committee (PSC), comprising ambassadors from the 27 EU countries. The agenda for this discussion included supporting Lebanon and its army and diplomatic initiatives to de-escalate tensions.
Magdaléna Grono, the first advisor for foreign policy to the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, also talked with Bou Habib about possible solutions to the crisis and the EU’s stance regarding the situation in the Middle East.
The caretaker minister’s visit concluded with a meeting with the European Commission’s Director-General for Neighborhood and Enlargement Negotiations, Gert-Jan Koopman, who is expected in Beirut in July to discuss economic matters.
Bou Habib is continuing his tour by heading to the United States, where he will meet with American leaders in Washington and UN officials in New York. He will then go to Ottawa to confer with his Canadian counterpart.
