Local Editor

Egyptian Ambassador to Lebanon Ashraf Hamdy stressed Saturday that his country "plans to forge tight relations with the Lebanese resistance group, Hizbullah."

In an interview with Lebanese newspaper Daily Star, Hamdy highlighted that "You cannot discuss politics in Lebanon without having a relationship with Hizbullah."
"Resistance in the sense of defending Lebanese territory ... That's their primary role. We ... think that as a resistance movement they have done a good job to keep on defending Lebanese territory and trying to regain land occupied by Israel is legal and legitimate," he said.

In a clear policy shift from Egypt's Mubarak-era policy, the envoy described the resistance movement as "real force on the ground" with "big political and military influence."
In parallel, Hamdy said that the government of President Mohamed Mursi would pursue a policy to stretch "[its] hand out in the proper, balanced way to all regional powers, including Hizbullah, in order to forge "tight" contacts with Lebanon's rulers."
Hamdy also revealed that he had met with Hizbullah's political bureau members in efforts "to understand each other better."

"In discussions we said we want Hizbullah to remain as a political force in Lebanon acting in the interests of the Lebanese first and not others," Hamdy continued.

On the Syrian crisis's impacts on Lebanon, Hamdy said: "We want to keep all the parties in Lebanon away from what is happening in Syria. Not only Hizbullah."


Source: Daily Star, Edited by moqawama.org