Foreign Minister Youssef Rajji continued his diplomatic engagements on the sidelines of the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly, meeting with his counterparts from Malta, Austria, Ukraine, Canada, and the United Arab Emirates. Discussions focused on bilateral ties and a range of issues of mutual concern related to Lebanon’s situation and broader regional and international developments.
Rajji also participated in a high-level meeting on Women, Peace, and Security, as well as the ministerial gathering in support of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA). In his remarks, he expressed Lebanon’s “deep concern over the ongoing campaign targeting UNRWA for more than two years, aimed at undermining the rights of millions of Palestinian refugees who rely on the agency’s services.” He reaffirmed Lebanon’s solidarity with UNRWA and its staff, underscoring the agency’s central role in safeguarding refugee rights, and urged for sustained financial backing to ensure its operations continue.
Separately, Rajji held talks with UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Tom Fletcher on relief and emergency assistance provided to Syrian refugees in Lebanon, exploring the possibility of extending such aid inside Syria to facilitate their return.
In another significant development, Rajji and North Macedonia’s Foreign Minister Timcho Vesonski signed a joint communiqué establishing diplomatic relations between Lebanon and North Macedonia.
Rajji also participated in a high-level meeting on Women, Peace, and Security, as well as the ministerial gathering in support of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA). In his remarks, he expressed Lebanon’s “deep concern over the ongoing campaign targeting UNRWA for more than two years, aimed at undermining the rights of millions of Palestinian refugees who rely on the agency’s services.” He reaffirmed Lebanon’s solidarity with UNRWA and its staff, underscoring the agency’s central role in safeguarding refugee rights, and urged for sustained financial backing to ensure its operations continue.
Separately, Rajji held talks with UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Tom Fletcher on relief and emergency assistance provided to Syrian refugees in Lebanon, exploring the possibility of extending such aid inside Syria to facilitate their return.
In another significant development, Rajji and North Macedonia’s Foreign Minister Timcho Vesonski signed a joint communiqué establishing diplomatic relations between Lebanon and North Macedonia.
