Newly appointed Foreign Minister leaves for Paris to participate in ministerial conference on Syria

BEIRUT — Foreign Affairs Minister Joe Rajjeh left for Paris to participate in a ministerial conference on Syria, which will be held on Thursday at the invitation of his French counterpart Jean-Noël Barrot, following a phone call between the two ministers.

Rajjeh will hold a series of side meetings with his ministerial counterparts and heads of delegations participating in the conference to consult on a range of issues related to Lebanon and the region.

The conference aims to coordinate regional and international action in support of Syria's transitional process. In late January, Syria's de-facto leader Ahmed al-Sharaa was named president for the "transitional period," almost two months after he led the rebel offensive that toppled former Syrian president Bashar al-Assad.

Rajjeh became Lebanon's new Foreign Minister last Saturday, succeeding Abdallah Bou Habib, when Prime Minister Nawaf Salam formed the Cabinet.