Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Minister, Gebran Bassil, concluded his tour of Latin America Wednesday with a visit to Mexico City where he met with his Mexican counterpart, Luis Vidigarai Cassou, with talks touching on the region’s issues.
The two held talks on the current situation in the Middle East, and both sides agreed to “re-launch free trade negotiations between the two countries, as they are currently suspended,” a statement from the Foreign Ministry read.
The Mexican foreign minister emphasized his desire “not to repeat the recent government crisis in order to preserve Lebanon’s stability.”
Furthermore, Bassil met with members of the Lebanese community in Mexico, to whom he said, “Lebanon is living its true independence this year. We have fulfilled our independence because we have restored our self-determination.” Bassil added, “We must maintain this independence through unity. We refuse to be an affiliate of any axis.”
Moreover, Bassil met with members of the Lebanese Diaspora at the Lebanese club, where he was received by club president Alejandro Cerio. Bassil announced the opening of the Lebanese-Mexican expatriate house in Batroun, and told the audience that “Lebanon was promised an economic renaissance by signing oil and gas drilling contracts.”
Bassil also urged Mexico’s Lebanese community to participate in the Diaspora Energy Conference to be held soon in Beirut and to attend the conference scheduled for 2018 in Argentina.
He concluded by asking the Diaspora to participate in Lebanon’s upcoming parliamentary elections, saying “the Lebanese are not complete without citizenship.”
Hala Hayek Najjar
