Egyptian Minister of Foreign Affairs Ahmed Aboul Gheit said Lebanon needs Arab support to overcome its governmental crisis, pointing out that the Arab League has played an important role during the country’s previous crises.
Ten Lebanese opposition ministers and one independent forced the cabinet to dissolve when they resigned earlier this month.
In a statement to Kuwaiti newspaper Al-Rai published on Friday, Aboul Gheit dismissed the idea that the Lebanese will jeopardize their own stability, but argued that some within and outside Lebanon may push in that direction. At the same time, he also expressed faith in the judgment of the Lebanese people.
Aboul Gheit said Egypt stresses the need for the Arab League to play a role in helping the Lebanese cope with the current situation. During the Arab Economic Summit in Sharm el-Sheikh this week, he emphasized that the league’s secretary general, Amr Mussa, must participate in all efforts.
“We prefer that efforts to resolve the crisis be Arab efforts, because this is the natural and logical course of things,” said Aboul Gheit.
Egypt does not oppose regional or international attention, the minister added, saying it is important to establish an Arab safety net for the nation.
Responding to a question about Egypt’s role in the crisis, Aboul Gheit said that Egypt is using its connections with Lebanese, Arab and international parties to assert the Egyptian position and to help achieve the difficult balance between stability and justice among Lebanon’s various factions.
Aboul Gheit asserted that Lebanon will not be able to turn the page of political assassinations until achieving justice and stability. Stability is a primary demand for all Lebanese, and those who seek to threaten it will face a lot of enemies, including Lebanese, Arabs, and others.
Lebanese Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri took a number of positive steps toward his country’s future over the last few months, and it is unfair to ask him to adopt positions beyond his previous ones, Aboul Gheit said. Egypt appreciates al-Hariri’s situation, and supports his vision of Lebanon, which is perhaps the most inclusive one, he added.
Aboul Gheit said his negotiations with Saudi Foreign Minister Saoud al-Faisal in Sharm el-Sheikh–including the suspension of the Saudi-Syrian initiative–were fruitful and that Egypt and Saudi Arabia share the same view on the need to maintain stability in Lebanon.
