Mashnouq Meets French Counterpart, Says Hizbullah 'Rival and Partner'
Interior Minister Nouhad al-Mashnouq began a two-day visit to France Tuesday by meeting his French counterpart Bernard Cazeneuve.
Mashnouq is accompanied by a high-ranking security delegation comprising General Security chief Maj. Gen. Abbas Ibrahim and Brig. Gen. Imad Othman, head of the Internal Security Forces Intelligence Branch.
The meeting with Cazeneuve tackled “the security and political challenges that Lebanon and the region are facing and the two parties agreed on the need to end the Syrian tragedy in a manner that takes into account the Syrian people's aspirations,” Lebanon's National News Agency reported.
Turning to the domestic Lebanese situations, Mashnouq underlined to the French minister that “the regularity of the work of state institutions in Lebanon cannot be complete without the election of a new president.”
“The priority in Lebanon today is the speedy election of a new president,” Mashnouq said.
The minister also explained the importance of dialogue among the political forces and the ongoing bilateral talks between Hizbullah and al-Mustaqbal movement.
“Hizbullah is both a political rival and a partner in the country,” NNA quoted Mashnouq as telling Cazeneuve.
For his part, the French minister promised that Paris will increase its “technical assistance to the General Security and the ISF.”
Mashnouq then headed to the Lebanese embassy in Paris, where the Lebanese charge d'affaires Ghadi Khoury threw a lunch banquet in honor of the minister. The lunch was attended by a number of French MPs of Lebanese and Arab origins as well as some Arab ambassadors and Lebanese businessmen, NNA said.
Later on Tuesday, the minister held separate talks with France's new ambassador to Lebanon Emmanuel Bon and General Directorate for External Security chief Bernard Bajolet.
Y.R.
| Copyright © 2012 Naharnet.com. All Rights Reserved. | https://cdn.naharnet.com/stories/en/185324 |