In a joint statement by 18 Foreign Ministers calling for Lebanon to be included in regional de-escalation efforts, George Gerapetritis participated. The NATO countries’ Foreign Ministers welcomed the talks that have already taken place, while emphasizing that they condemn both Hezbollah’s attacks on Israel and Israel’s attacks on Lebanon, particularly the one carried out by the IDF on April 8. Furthermore, they reminded that civilians are protected under international law and this must be upheld. They also condemned the attacks against UNIFIL, the United Nations peacekeeping force in Lebanon.
The joint statement by 18 Foreign Ministers
We, the Foreign Ministers of Australia, Belgium, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Finland, France, Greece, Iceland, Luxembourg, Malta, 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 war in Lebanon jeopardizes the current regional de-escalation, which we have welcomed and must be fully respected by all.
We welcome President Aoun’s initiative to begin direct talks with Israel, as well as Israel’s acceptance of starting talks 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 for the broader region. We are ready to support them. We therefore call on all parties to proceed immediately with de-escalation and to take advantage of the opportunity offered by the ceasefire between the United States and Iran.
We condemn in the strongest terms Hezbollah’s attacks against Israel, which must stop immediately. We also condemn in the strongest terms the massive Israeli strikes on Lebanon carried out on April 8, which, according to the latest information from Lebanese authorities, resulted in the death of more than 350 people and the injury of over 1,000. Civilians and non-military infrastructure must be protected according to international humanitarian law.
We also condemn in the strongest terms the attacks against UNIFIL and reiterate that the safety and protection of UN peacekeeping forces must be ensured at all times.
We express our full solidarity and steadfast support for the Lebanese people and their authorities. We are ready to provide urgent assistance to more than one million displaced people 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 so that it can fully exercise its sovereignty throughout its 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 of weapons, and we encourage the full and rapid implementation of these measures.
