The displacement crisis is out of control

The Minister of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants in the caretaker government, Abdullah Bouhabib, announced after meeting with his Greek counterpart, Georgios Gerapietritis, that “we have historical relations with Greece, and we see an increasing desire among the Lebanese to invest commercially and in real estate in Greece.” We are pleased with the development of bilateral cooperation between us, and we aspire to more of it, as I agreed with my Greek counterpart on the solid friendship between our two countries.”

He added: “The interconnectedness between the two shores of the Mediterranean is so strong that if we get a cold in Lebanon and the eastern Mediterranean, the infection will spread to the European Mediterranean neighbourhood.”
We agreed that the comprehensive and integrated implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701 will achieve stability and calm in southern Lebanon. We told our Greek friends that we do not want a war that, if it occurs, the entire Middle East will explode.”

Bou Habib stressed that the displacement crisis is out of control due to the absence of sustainable solutions. It has exceeded Lebanon’s ability to bear it, and has begun to knock on the doors of Cyprus and perhaps Greece. Therefore, like-minded countries such as Lebanon, Greece and Cyprus must work together to change the European Union’s policy towards helping to return the displaced to Syria, and supporting them so that they can rebuild their destroyed villages and towns.

The Foreign Minister thanked Greece for its willingness to convey Lebanon’s voice to the European Union, support our demands and take our concerns into consideration.

Bou Habib said: “I agreed with my Greek counterpart on the importance of an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, protecting medics and civilians, delivering humanitarian aid, and implementing the two-state solution to end the state of instability that the Middle East has been experiencing for decades.”