By NNN-KUNA
Brussels : The European Union and Lebanon held here their third meeting of the Association Council to discuss EU-Lebanon relations in the framework of the European Neighborhood Policy.
“There is a steady commitment of the EU to restore peace, stability and normal functioning of democratic institutions in Lebanon,” Tarek Mitri, the Lebanese Foreign Minister, told a press conference after the meeting Tuesday.
Matjaz Inkovec, Secretary of State of Slovenia, told the same news conference that they talked about the implementation of the Association Agreement and EU-Lebanese cooperation. Slovenia holds the current EU Presidency.
EU can play an important role in Lebanon, said Mitri. “We hope that it won’t be too long before a new government in place will come,” he said.
The Lebanese and their friends in the Arab world all wish that a president be elected before the Arab summit expected to be held in Damascus in March, he noted.
The country has been without a president since Emile Lahoud stepped down at the end of his term in November. “We hope that Arab peace efforts will bear fruit,” said Mitri.
He said that if unfortunately a president is not elected before the summit, Lebanon’s chair will be occupied at the summit. “There cannot be an Arab summit if Lebanon is not invited,” he stressed.
Sinkovec said: “We expect that Lebanon and Syria should establish normal and good neighbourly relations.”
A statement issued by the EU after the meeting said even in these turbulent times for Lebanon, “our partnership continues to prove its value and to develop.”
“The EU would like, more than ever, to reaffirm its strong commitment to the sovereignty, independence, unity and stability of Lebanon as well as its solidarity with all the Lebanese,” it added.