Brussels: On the sidelines of the EU-Lebanon Association Council's ninth meeting in Brussels, Youssef Raggi, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants, held strategic discussions with key European Union officials, including Kaja Kallas, the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.
According to National News Agency - Lebanon, the discussions between Raggi and Kallas focused on the latest developments in Lebanon and the broader region, with an emphasis on enhancing the bilateral partnership between Lebanon and the EU. Kallas expressed the EU's readiness to support Lebanon in various sectors and highlighted the potential for elevating the Lebanon-EU partnership to a strategic and comprehensive level, contingent upon the implementation of necessary reforms.
Kallas also acknowledged the progress Lebanon has made in implementing reforms and consolidating the state's monopoly on arms. In addition to his meeting with Kallas, Minister Raggi engaged in talks with Dubravka Å uica, the European Commissioner for the Mediterranean. Their discussions covered topics such as reforms, the situation in southern Lebanon, and support for the Lebanese army.
The Foreign Minister also had a meeting with his Irish counterpart, Helen McEntee, who reiterated Ireland's commitment to the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).