Eighteen foreign ministers, including Greece’s Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis, signed a joint statement calling for Lebanon to be included in regional de-escalation efforts.
The ministers urged all parties to work towards a lasting political solution, while strongly condemning attacks by Hezbollah against Israel, as well as the large-scale Israeli strikes on Lebanon carried out on 8 April.
They warned that the continuation of the conflict in Lebanon threatened the current regional de-escalation and stressed that it must be fully respected by all sides.
The ministers welcomed the initiative of Lebanese President Michel Aoun to launch direct talks with Israel, as well as Israel’s acceptance of negotiations mediated by the United States. They called on both sides to seize this opportunity, noting that direct negotiations could pave the way for lasting security in Lebanon, Israel, and the wider region.
The joint statement emphasised readiness to support these talks and called for immediate de-escalation, highlighting the opportunity created by the ceasefire between the United States and Iran.
The ministers also strongly condemned attacks against UNIFIL, stressing that the safety and protection of UN peacekeeping forces must be ensured at all times.
They expressed full solidarity with the Lebanese people and authorities and confirmed readiness to provide urgent assistance to more than one million displaced individuals in coordination with the Lebanese government.
Finally, they reaffirmed the importance of respecting Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as the full implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701. They also welcomed the Lebanese government’s decision to ban Hezbollah’s military activities and to strengthen state authority across the country, urging the swift and full implementation of these measures.
Full 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 risks the current regional de-escalation, which we have welcomed and must be fully respected by all.
We welcome the initiative of President Aoun to launch direct talks with Israel, as well as Israel’s acceptance to begin 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 proceed immediately with de-escalation and to seize the opportunity offered by the ceasefire between the United States and Iran.
We strongly condemn Hezbollah’s attacks against Israel, which must stop immediately. We also strongly condemn the large-scale Israeli strikes on Lebanon carried out on 8 April, which, according to the latest information from Lebanese authorities, resulted in the deaths of more than 350 people and injuries to over 1,000. 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 security of UN peacekeeping forces must be ensured at all times.
We express our full solidarity and steadfast support to 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 government.
We reaffirm the importance of respecting Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as the full implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701 (2006). We will continue to support the Lebanese state in exercising full sovereignty across its territory. In this context, we welcome the decision of the Lebanese government to prohibit Hezbollah’s military activities, as well as its decision to strengthen full state authority in Beirut and ensure the exclusive monopoly of weapons, and we encourage the full and swift implementation of these measures.”
