Italian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani and outgoing Lebanese Prime Minister Nagib Mikati at the Grand Serail on December 23, 2022. (Credit: Dalati Nohra)
BEIRUT — Italian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Antonio Tajani, who arrived in Beirut Friday for a two-day official visit, met with caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati, at the Grand Serail and with the Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri in Ain el-Tineh, with whom he discussed bilateral relations as well as Italy's commitment to Lebanon.
During his meeting with Tajani, Mikati stressed on "the effective role of Italy in UNIFIL," (the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon), to which Italy contributes a contingent of about 1,100 soldiers. His visit comes after an incident that claimed the life of an Irish peacekeeper on December 14 in the village of Aaqibiye, in southern Lebanon, a Hezbollah stronghold.
'Solid relations'
Mikati emphasized on "the strong relations between Lebanon and Italy" and thanked Italy for "its assistance to the Lebanese army and its annual humanitarian aid."
Italy's top diplomat and Berri also discussed Lebanon's need to elect a president of the republic as soon as possible, according to a press release issued by the Parliament Speaker.
For the first time in its history Lebanon is experiencing a double vacancy at the executive level, without an elected president since the departure of Michel Aoun on October 31 and with a caretaker cabinet charged only to expedite current affairs. This political crisis comes on top of an unprecedented economic and financial crisis with which the country has been struggling for more than three years.
During his meeting with the Italian foreign minister, Berry thanked Italy for its commitment to UNIFIL and mentioned a series of laws under consideration by the Lebanese Parliament, in order to restart negotiations with the International Monetary Fund. The IMF requires certain reforms before granting Lebanon a financial assistance program of $3 billion over a period of four years.
In an interview with L'Orient-Le Jour published Friday, Minister Tajani indicated that during his visit he intended to call on Lebanese authorities to implement an agenda of reforms.