Raggi meets Cypriot President during Cyprus official visit
Lebanon’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants Youssef Raggi began his official visit to Cyprus with a meeting with Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides at the Presidential Palace, where he was received by Cypriot Foreign Minister Constantinos Kombos.
Lebanon’s Ambassador to Cyprus Reina Charbel also attended the meeting. Discussions focused on bilateral relations and ways to further strengthen them across various sectors.
The Cypriot President welcomed Minister Raggi and thanked him for accepting his counterpart's invitation to participate in the annual meeting with Cypriot ambassadors. President Christodoulides affirmed that Lebanon's sovereignty and stability are a priority for Cyprus, just as they are for the Lebanese themselves.
The Cypriot President stressed his country's support for Lebanon through its position within the European Union, revealing that he had sent a letter to the European Council urging EU member states to elevate relations with Lebanon to the level of a strategic partnership, similar to the frameworks in place with Jordan and Egypt.
The Cypriot President also commended the efforts being made by the President of the Republic and the Lebanese government, noting that Lebanon is receiving, perhaps for the first time in fourteen years, remarkable international attention, and urged the Lebanese people not to miss this positive moment.
For his part, Minister Raggi thanked Cyprus for its steadfast support for Lebanon, particularly through the European Union.
Raggi also reviewed the latest developments in Lebanon in light of the framework agreement signed between Lebanon and Israel under U.S. auspices. He reiterated that this agreement has demonstrated to everyone, including Iran, that negotiations are an exclusively Lebanese responsibility, to be decided by no one other than the Lebanese state, stressing that the Lebanese state remains firmly committed to pursuing this course.
