Foreign Ministry stresses firmness of relation with Cyprus

Lebanon’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants on Thursday stressed that “the Lebanese-Cypriot relations are built on a rich history of diplomatic cooperation,” after Hezbollah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah warned Cyprus against allowing Israel to use its air bases to bomb Lebanon in the event of war.

The Lebanese statement also affirmed “continuous and ongoing communication and consultation at the highest levels between the two countries to discuss matters of mutual interest."

Earlier in the day, LBCI television quoted Foreign Ministry officials as saying that “the decision to close the Cypriot embassy for one day (Thursday) has nothing to do with Hezbollah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah’s remarks,” explaining that the closure had been previously scheduled for “administrative reasons related to hiking (visa) fees” and that the admission of visa applications “will resume as of tomorrow.”

Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides said Wednesday that his island nation “is in no way involved” in any military operations in the region.

"Opening Cypriot airports and bases to the Israeli enemy to target Lebanon would mean that the Cypriot government is part of the war, and the resistance will deal with it as part of the war," Nasrallah warned earlier in the day.