EU delegation visits Lebanon and vows support for peace

Beirut- A delegation from the European People's Party (EPP), a grouping in the European Parliament, held talks Tuesday in Beirut and vowed support for the Mideast peace process.

The delegation, headed by the vice-president of the EPP Group, Vito Bonsignore, and the vice-president of the European Parliament, Rodi Kratsa-Tsagaropoulou, met with Lebanese House Speaker Nabih Berri, Prime Minister Saad Hariri and Foreign Minister Ali Shami.

Following the meeting with Hariri, Bonsignore said: "I want to stress that Europe will increase the pressure to support the peace process in the Middle East."

"At this stage, I join my voice to that of Prime Minister Hariri, who underlined the need to move forward in the peace process," Bonsignore said.

"We wish to see all the parties present and working together for development and peace," he added.

Referring to the presence of the United Nations Interim Forces (UNIFIL) in southern Lebanon, Bonsignore said: "We told Prime Minister Hariri that he can count on the backing of the EPP group, in particular regarding keeping the UNIFIL forces."

"Europe will vote in favor of the renewal of their mandate in the south and for the support of the peace process," the EU official said.

The UNIFIL force, which was first deployed in the southern part of the country following the first Israeli invasion to Lebanon in 1978, was enhanced in numbers following the July 2006 Israeli war against the Lebanese Shiite movement Hezbollah. Its main task is to monitor the Lebanese-Israeli border and keep the area out of tension.

The mandate of the current UNIFIL force has been renewed by the UN Security Council until August 31, 2010.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/320868,eu-delegation-visits-lebanon-and-vows-support-for-peace.html.