Minister Kristian Vigenin held talks with the Ambassador of the Lebanese Republic Fares Eid
30 October 2013 News
Minister Kristian Vigenin met with Fares Eid, Ambassador of the Republic of Lebanon to Bulgaria. They discussed the situation in the Middle East, with emphasis on Syria and the flow of refugees as a result of the conflict in the country.
"We appreciate the efforts that Lebanon is making to cope with the influx of Syrian refugees and to provide them a safe haven. Bulgaria , already from its own experience , understands how difficult this is for a small country . I hope that all the efforts of the international community will lead to peace in Syria, "said Kristian Vigenin. This is the best solution and a chance for these people to return to Syria and to participate in the peaceful transition and political reconstruction of the country, added the Bulgarian Foreign Minister. According to him, the international community must make a special effort to support the efforts of the Lebanese authorities to ensure stability in the country in a moment of acute regional crisis. Achieving stability in the Middle East means creating the conditions for economic growth and social development, said minister Kristian Vigenin. He expressed hope that the new approach of openness demonstrated by Iran will create conditions for solving the issue of its nuclear program, which is an additional opportunity to reduce tensions in the region.
Ambassador Eid also pointed out the great importance of the international efforts for settlement of the conflict in Syria, which have prevented more serious consequences for the stability of the entire region. The refugee problem in Syria is very serious and goes beyond the regional dimension. "We hope that further steps towards achieving lasting peace in the country will be taken," added the Lebanese Ambassador.
Kristian Vigenin and Fares Eid emphasized the good level of cooperation and the successful political dialogue in the bilateral relations and discussed the possibilities for their activation in different areas of mutual benefit. Minister Vigenin expressed the desire of Bulgaria to continue the cooperation between the two countries at the level of Ministries of Foreign Affairs. "Bulgaria has strong ties with all countries in the region, among which Lebanon occupies an important place, and wants to develop the relations with them in the fields of trade and investment," added the Foreign Minister.
Ambassador Eid thanked Bulgaria for the scholarships awarded to Lebanese students to study in Bulgarian universities, as well as for the atmosphere of tolerance and friendship in which the Lebanese live in our country.
The EU's decision to add the military wing of "Hezbollah" in the list of terrorist organizations was made on the basis of an extensive discussion and several cases on the EU territory, including the bombing of Sarafovo Airport on 18 July 2012, commented also Kristian Vigenin. He emphasized that the Bulgarian government appreciates the cooperation received from the competent authorities of Lebanon and other partners towards clarifying the details on the case.
Lebanon is against terrorism in all its forms and is part of the international efforts to combat it, said Ambassador Eid.