Korean Director General meets with PS Foreign Affairs
07/12/2018Bainimarama and Netanyahu celebrate Special Bond between Fiji and Israel
12/12/2018Published On: 09/12/2018
Prime Minister Josaia Voreqe Bainimarama met the Honourable Saad Al-Hariri, Prime Minister of the Lebanese Republic, along the margins of the Prime Minister’s annual visit to our troops in the Middle East.
In the meeting the Prime Minister revisited and provided updates on the issues the counterparts discussed in their last meeting in 2016.
Prime Minister Saad Al-Hariri thanked Fiji’s PM and Fiji for the excellent support that Fiji has provided to UNIFIL, He stresses that UNIFIL’s mandate and work was critical to stabilising his country politically and putting it on a firm path of development.
Prime Minister Saad Al-Hariri said that Lebanon would be very interested in having continued presence of Fiji in UNIFIL in future if there were opportunities adding that Fiji’s troops were greatly appreciated and built strong relations with the local community.
Prime Minister Bainimarama thanked Lebanon for hosting Fijian troops over the years and added that Fiji stands ready to re-engage in Lebanon if opportunities did arise in Fiji. The changing needs of UNIFIL and a return of a measure of stability meant that the composition of the Force will change. Fiji accepted that decision of the UN. Fiji was proud to have contributed positively to creating an atmosphere of trust to allow politics to work itself in solving problems in the region,
Prime Minister Saad Al-Hariri expressed his support for Fiji’s global leadership on climate and oceans and inquired as to the impacts of climate change, sea level rise on Fiji. He expressed his strong interest to visit Fiji at some point in the near future.
Prime Minister Bainimarama wished his counterpart well in the formation of the stable government to take Lebanon forward.
The Prime Minister reassured Prime Minister Saad Al-Hariri of Fiji’s commitment to peace in the region and took the opportunity to offer the assistance of Fijians if ever there was an opportunity to return to UNIFIL.
The Prime Minister met the UNIFIL Force Commander earlier in the day.