Abdelatty says Egypt 'won't spare any effort' to prevent Lebanon escalation
Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty met Wednesday in Beirut with President Joseph Aoun, as Israel escalated its attacks on Lebanon.
After the meeting, Abdelatty said Egypt would not spare any effort to prevent an escalation in Lebanon and voiced his country's support for Lebanon and President Aoun and for the government's decision to disarm Hezbollah.
Abdelatty had held talks with his Saudi, French, and Qatari counterparts ahead of the visit, reports said.
"We are keen on the safety and stability of Lebanon and we fully support Lebanon and are holding diplomatic talks with all sides to prevent an escalation," he declared from the presidential palace in Baabda.
Abdelatty also said that Egypt supports Aoun's initiative to negotiate to reach an agreement that would end Israeli strikes on Lebanon and lead to Israeli withdrawal from five occupied border hills in south Lebanon. Aoun had made the statement from south Lebanon in a speech marking Independence Day.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi had earlier voiced his country's support to Lebanon in a phone call with Aoun, the Lebanese Presidency said.
Abdelatty later met with Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri in Beirut. He called on the Israeli army to stop its attacks on Lebanon in order to give the Lebanese army the chance to deploy there and disarm Hezbollah.
Abdelatty will also meet Wednesday with Prime Minister Nawaf Salam.
Source: Naharnet
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