Thursday 18 June 2009

Raad Receives British Ambassador in First Meeting of Its Kind


Raad Receives British Ambassador in First Meeting of Its Kind
Readers Number : 115

18/06/2009 In the first meeting of its kind, the head of the Loyalty to the Resistance parliamentary bloc in Lebanon MP Mohamad Raad received at his office in the Parliament British Ambassador to Lebanon Frances Mary Guy.

Discussions between the Hezbollah MP and the British ambassador focused on the election results and regional issues.

Raad expressed Hezbollah's vision towards regarding domestic and regional developments. He stressed on the necessity to exert pressures on the Israeli enemy, which is the source of tensions and non-stability in the region.

"The talks covered the recent elections and the situation in the region," Raad said in a statement following the meeting in Parliament.
"I believe the doors are open to further meetings," he told AFP.

The British embassy confirmed that the talks had covered local politics. "Basically the meeting covered the elections and the formation of a new government," an embassy press officer told AFP. The meeting also covered U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701, the press officer said.

Meanwhile, a Foreign Office spokeswoman in London said her country would hold talks with Hezbollah members "who are legitimately involved in Lebanese politics and those who are involved in violence and supporting terrorism."

"Our objective with Hezbollah remains unchanged: that they reject violence and play a constructive, democratic and peaceful role in Lebanese politics, in line with the UN Security Council resolutions," she told AFP. "We believe that occasional and carefully considered contact with Hezbollah's politicians, including its MPs, will best advance this objective," she added.

"We will be taking a pragmatic approach to speaking to known moderates, political figures who to the best of our knowledge have no links with acts of violence."

No comments: