EU Foreign Minister Josep Borrell. (Credit: AFP)
The European Union's foreign minister, Josep Borrell, began a two-day visit to Beirut on Wednesday, as part of a tour that has taken him to Egypt in recent days. He arrived at "Beirut Airport at the head of a delegation" early in the afternoon, reported the Lebanese state-run National News Agency (NNA).
Received late in the afternoon at his residence in Clemenceau by Walid Joumblatt, father of the president of the Progressive Socialist Party (PSP) Taymour Joumblatt, who was also present, Borrell discussed with him "numerous issues, including the Israeli aggression against Lebanon, the war in Gaza and the Palestinian cause, as well as local issues such as the presidential election and displaced Syrians in Lebanon," the agency reported.
"There are few people who stand out for their positions in history. Borrell stood out after the Gaza war, he exploded in the European Union after the total violation of human rights in Gaza and occupied Palestine," Joumblatt said during the meeting, according to the NNA.
During his stay in Lebanon, Borrell is also due to meet caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati, Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri and caretaker Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib on Thursday. A press conference is scheduled for 12:45 p.m. on Thursday at the Bustros Palace. The EU diplomat is also due to meet with the head of the Lebanese army, General Joseph Aoun.
Borrell's mission "is part of the EU's continued regional action to prevent further escalation" in the region, a statement released by Brussels said earlier this week. "This visit takes place in the context of the war in Gaza, where the dire humanitarian situation and the fate of the hostages make an urgent ceasefire even more critical ... The EU's support for Lebanon's resilience and stability, as well as its regional role, will be discussed with a range of national and international stakeholders, including the United Nations," the text said.
Earlier this week, the EU's foreign policy chief held official meetings in Cairo, then attended a ministerial meeting of the Arab League and visited the Egyptian side of the border with the Gaza Strip, at Rafah.
This article originally appeared in French in L'Orient-Le Jour.