High Representative/Vice-President Josep Borrell gave the following remarks after meeting with Foreign Minister Bou Habib.

Most of the time, unfortunately, we have to talk about dramatic developments affecting Lebanon and the people of Lebanon, from the crisis in Syria – unsolved crisis in Syria – and the war in Gaza, which both have negative consequences on your country.

Since I last visited Lebanon in January, the drums of war have not stopped pounding. Since then, the fears I was outlining have been growing – [fears of] more escalation; fears of regional spill-over of the war in Gaza; and fears of more wide-spread human suffering. But the Lebanese people want and seek for stability, for peace and development, instead of war.

My message today is that the European Union stands on the side of the Lebanese people to help to overcome the threats and challenges as much as we can.

According with the United Nations, more than 4,000 residential buildings have been completely destroyed in South Lebanon. More than 110,000 Lebanese have been forced to leave their homes since October 2023. The same thing happens on the other side of the Blue Line.

We need to de-escalate military tensions, and I use this opportunity to urge all sides to pursue this path.  I urge all the Lebanese leaders to work together in the interest of the Lebanese nation and the state of Lebanon – and no one else.

Beyond the imminent risk facing Lebanon, allow me to highlight another important point. For Lebanon to secure stability and peace, functioning national institutions need to be restored – including the Presidency of the Republic, and the Council of Ministers. There is no way for you to defend the Lebanese interests abroad – in the broader world – without being, in the first place, stable and united at home.

The European Union is ready to continue supporting Lebanon, and Lebanon’s leaders to face the challenges of stability for the sake of the resilient Lebanese people – who, like many others in the region, have been kept away from peace and prosperity. But we can only assist, we can only [help] overcome the internal obstacles, if the Lebanese help themselves. Working for the interest of the Lebanese people, and no one else, is the way to go.