Beirut: Minister of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants, Youssef Raggi, on Tuesday received Austria's Special Representative for the Middle East, Arad Benko, who conveyed the greetings of Austria's foreign minister and Vienna's interest in Middle East and Lebanon-related files.
According to National News Agency - Lebanon, the Austrian side expressed support for Lebanon's reform path and showed readiness to assist the Lebanese Armed Forces in expanding their deployment across the south and restoring occupied territories. Discussions also included topics such as UNIFIL, post-mandate arrangements, Syria, and the Syrian refugee file.
Raggi welcomed Vienna's involvement and highlighted the importance of supporting the army. He expressed hope in the upcoming Paris conference expected in March and urged the European Union to facilitate refugee returns by redirecting aid inside Syria, given Lebanon's limited capacity.
In other matters, Raggi received copies of credentials from the new ambassadors of the Philippines and Armenia. He also met with a delegation from Lebanon's Notaries Council to discuss standardizing documents for missions abroad and exploring future cooperation.