Bou Habib broaches developments with UN’s Hennis-Plasschaert, discusses situation with itinerant visitors

Caretaker Minister of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants, Dr. Abdallah Bou Habib, on Monday received in his office, the UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon, Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, with whom he discussed the latest developments. Caretaker Minister Bou Habib stressed the "need for the United Nations to intensify its efforts to stop the Israeli aggression on Lebanon and spare the region from slipping into a spiral of retaliatory responses that could spiral out of control and lead to the outbreak of an all-out regional war." Minister Bou Habib reiterated "Lebanon's commitment to the full implementation of UN Resolution 1701 as the only solution to restore calm to southern Lebanon." On the other hand, the new Belgian Ambassador to Lebanon, Arnout Pauwels, presented a copy of his credentials to Minister Bou Habib. The Minister expressed his hope that "Belgium will play an active role, both at the European and international levels, to curb Israel's dangerous escalation in the region and put an end to its aggressio n against Lebanon." Bou Habib also received in his office, the Spanish Ambassador to Lebanon, Jesus Santos Aguado, who expressed his country's "support for Lebanon and its concern about the region slipping into a dangerous escalation." The Minister later received the new representative of the World Food Program in Lebanon, Matthew Hollingworth, who paid him an acquaintance visit upon assuming his new duties in the country. Discussions reportedly touched on the programmes implemented by the World Food Programme in Lebanon. Source: National News Agency - Lebanon