Raggi in Canada: We Want to Build a State Worthy of the Diaspora’s Trust
Lebanese Foreign Minister Youssef Raggi took part in a ceremony to raise the Lebanese flag outside Canada’s Parliament in Ottawa, marking Lebanese Heritage Month in Canada. The event was attended by Immigration and Refugees Minister Lena Metlej Diab, Lebanese-Canadian MPs Faysal Khoury and Ziad Abou Ltaif, Lebanon’s Ambassador to Canada Bashir Tawk, Canada’s Ambassador to Lebanon Gregory Galligan, several lawmakers and members of the Lebanese community.
Diab
The ceremony opened with remarks by Minister Diab, who welcomed Minister Raggi and praised the nearly seven-decade-long relationship between Lebanon and Canada, marked by close ties between the two peoples. She said the flag-raising went beyond its symbolic significance, recognizing the contributions Lebanese people have made to Canada in various fields while remaining attached to their culture, heritage and traditions.
Raggi
In his speech, Minister Raggi thanked Diab, former Senator Jane Cordy and everyone who helped secure the Canadian Parliament’s 2023 decision to designate November as Lebanese Heritage Month each year. He noted that the Lebanese flag was being raised alongside the maple leaf, symbolizing a friendship that goes beyond relations between two countries and has been built by generations of Lebanese and Canadian people.
Raggi stressed that Lebanon had paid a heavy price over decades for the entanglement of its domestic politics with regional conflicts and foreign agendas, declaring his determination to restore the state’s authority and its exclusive right to make decisions on war and peace. We have not lost hope in Lebanon, he said.
He acknowledged that the road ahead was difficult and that rebuilding a state weakened over decades could not happen overnight, but stressed that their resolve remained firm and unwavering.
Raggi also reaffirmed Lebanon’s appreciation for Canada’s steadfast commitment to the country, particularly its support for national institutions, foremost among them the Lebanese Army and security forces.
Addressing Lebanese-Canadians, he thanked them for their “exceptional generosity” in standing by their homeland, saying: Lebanon does not want to remain dependent on the generosity of its people in the diaspora to make up for the state’s failures. Rather, it wants to build a state worthy of their trust, talents and dreams.
He then addressed younger generations, telling them: Lebanon is your homeland, too.
The ceremony concluded with Raggi and Diab raising the Lebanese flag, officially launching Lebanese Heritage Month, which has been celebrated annually since 2023.
