Lebanon stands ready to cooperate with Cyprus in the energy sector once Beirut finds gas, Foreign Minister ?bdallah ?ou Habib said Friday, following a meeting in Nicosia with his counterpart Ioannis Kasoulides. The meeting focuses on the situation in Lebanon and the many challenges the country is faced with, the Ukrainian crisis and the Cyprus issue.
Bou Habib said that Cyprus is a safe heaven for most Lebanese and expressed his gratitude for Cyprus’ support and solidarity. Kasoulides on his part said that Lebanon is very close to our hearts.
Lebanese Minister was invited to say if there is any movement in the energy sector and the exploration of gas, in light of Europe looking for alternative sources of energy and the fact that Lebabon is yet to sort some issues with Israel.
He answered that “with Cyprus there is no problem. Once we find gas, we are ready to cooperate together, we have talked about it and I can assure you that Lebanon is ready to do it.”
As regards the maritime borders with Israel, he said that indeed the the Americans are getting involved. “Sometimes it takes more time than necessary, [….], we received a written proposal in end of January and now we are in the process of answering to them,” the Lebanese FM said. He added that the proposal was better than the ones tabled before adding that in Lebanon there are various points [of view] “but we are all in agreement of what we want and therefore the response to Americans hopefully will be soon and it could be one response.”
The Minister said that he first visited Cyprus in 1967 as a young student and since then Cyprus was his safe place, his safe passage to Lebanon and out . Cyprus, he noted, is not only a neighbour but rather a safe heaven for most Lebanese and the getaway to the West.
He described today’s meeting as very good and really fruitful and expressed his gratitude for what Cyprus has done for Lebanon in difficult times especially after the port explosion in 2020 and the generous assistance to hospitals and schools and the most vulnerable.
He said that they also discussed the long conflicts in the region and Europe and the Ukrainian crisis. He thanked the people of Cyprus for their continuous, unwavering and general support and emphasised the depth of the relations between the two countries adding also that Lebanon will always be with Cyprus in dealing with regional and international issues.
Minister Kasoulides said that there is a natural kinship between the two peoples, which is further fueled by the presence of a large and industrious Lebanese community in Cyprus. “We are particularly proud to be proving this genuine solidarity not just at the level of Government, but of the society at large, whenever one of us is facing a crisis. We have witnessed this time and again, and most prominently in the aftermath of the horrifying blast in August 2020,” he said.
He said that he was briefed on the efforts of the Lebanese Government to address the many challenges and heard the Minister’s views on the way forward.
He added that Cyprus is watching the crisis Lebanon very closely. “I have reiterated our position, which is shared by all our partners in the EU and in the region; nobody wants to see Lebanon failing, and this is even more true for Cyprus. But, for Lebanon to truly bounce back, it is imperative that it takes ownership of the solution to its problems,” Kasoulides said. He added that the international community has stated its readiness to provide financial and technical assistance and that Cyprus welcomes the staff level agreement with the IMF and the improvement of relations with the Gulf states, as positive news.
He said that Cyprus looks forward to a fair and free parliamentary election process in Lebanon, according to the scheduled timeframe, which will reflect the legitimate aspirations of the Lebanese people. “I have reiterated the willingness of Cyprus and the EU to work with all constructive political forces, which will bring about reforms, accountability and responsibility towards the Lebanese people,” he noted.
The Cyprus Minister also said that the situation in Lebanon is anything but isolated from the regional and global context adding that the ongoing crisis in Syria and the regional rivalries have undeniably exacerbated Lebanon’s challenges and complicate the response to those. Therefore, he said, it is timely as always to reaffirm our steadfast support to Lebanon’s stability, security, territorial integrity, sovereignty and political independence.
As regards the Russian invasion in Ukraine, he noted that as countries that have gone through war, we cannot but stress our steadfast support of Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity and the need to stop the bloodshed.
“We are looking forward to developing our trilateral format with Lebanon and by focusing on sectors of cooperation that respond to Lebanon’s current needs and concerns. Our aim is for this format to have a positive impact on the lives of our citizens and particularly the youth, offering an example of respect and cooperation,” he further said.
He also said that he briefed his counterpart on the latest developments in the Cyprus Question and publicly expressed Cyprus’ sincere appreciation on Lebanon’s consistently principled support in our efforts to reunify the island according to the agreed UN parameters.
Cyprus has been divided since the 1974 Turkish invasion Numerous negotiations under the UN aegis failed to yield results. The latest round of talks tool place in the Swiss resort of Crans Montana in the summer of 2017.
Source: Cyprus News Agency