Eighteen foreign ministers from European countries, including Greece’s Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis, as well as Australia’s Penny Wong, co-signed a joint statement calling for Lebanon to be included in regional de-escalation efforts.
The ministers also urge all parties to work towards a lasting political solution and strongly condemn Hezbollah’s attacks against Israel, as well as the large-scale Israeli strikes on Lebanon on April 8.
They further note that the continuation of the war in Lebanon threatens the current regional de-escalation, and they welcome the initiative by Lebanese President Michel Aoun to begin direct talks with Israel, as well as Israel’s acceptance of negotiations mediated by the United States.
European foreign ministers stress that direct negotiations could pave the way for lasting security for Lebanon and Israel, as well as the wider region, and express readiness to support them. They also highlight their willingness to provide urgent assistance to more than one million displaced people in Lebanon, in coordination with the country’s government.
Excerpt from the joint statement:
“We, the foreign ministers of Australia, Belgium, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Finland, France, Greece, Iceland, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom call for Lebanon to be included in regional de-escalation efforts and urge all parties to work towards a lasting political solution. The continuation of the war in Lebanon threatens the current regional de-escalation, which we have welcomed and which must be fully respected by all.
We welcome the initiative of President Aoun to begin direct talks with Israel, as well as Israel’s acceptance of negotiations mediated by the United States. We call on both sides to seize this opportunity. Direct negotiations can pave the way for lasting security for Lebanon and Israel, as well as the wider region. We stand ready to support them. We therefore call on all parties to immediately de-escalate and to take advantage of the opportunity provided by the ceasefire between the United States and Iran.
We strongly condemn Hezbollah’s attacks against Israel, which must cease immediately. We also strongly condemn the large-scale Israeli strikes on Lebanon carried out on April 8, which, according to Lebanese authorities, resulted in more than 350 deaths and over 1,000 injuries. Civilians and civilian infrastructure must be protected in accordance with international humanitarian law.
We also strongly condemn attacks against UNIFIL and reiterate that the safety and protection of United Nations peacekeeping forces must be ensured at all times.
We express our full solidarity and steadfast support for the Lebanese people and authorities. We stand ready to provide urgent assistance to more than one million displaced persons in Lebanon, in coordination with the country’s government.
We reaffirm the importance of respecting Lebanon’s territorial integrity and sovereignty, as well as the full implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701 (2006). We will continue to support the Lebanese state in fully exercising its sovereignty across its entire territory. In this context, we welcome the Lebanese government’s decision to ban Hezbollah’s military activities, as well as its decision to strengthen the full enforcement of state authority in Beirut and ensure the exclusive monopoly on arms, and we encourage the full and swift implementation of these measures.”