Rahi, Fabius Meet in Paris, Stress on Disassociation Policy towards Regional Events

Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi met on Monday with French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius upon his arrival to Paris, and both men agreed on "the importance of abiding by the policy of disassociation towards regional events", the state-run National News Agency reported.

Radio Voice of Lebanon (100.5) said: “During his meeting with al-Rahi, Fabius voiced a clear political stance on the need that Lebanon continue its dissociation towards everything taking place in Syria”.

Meanwhile, LBCI television said the patriarch discussed with the French FM the situation of Christians in the Levant.

Al-Rahi called for the establishment of a Muslim-Christian alliance, VDL noted.

“The talks also tackled the issue of Syrian refugees in Lebanon,” LBCI remarked.

MTV revealed that al-Rahi will meet with former deputy PM Issam Fares later on Monday, who will throw a dinner banquet in honor of the patriarch.

Paris is the first stop in al-Rahi's European and Latin American trip, during which the patriarch is scheduled to hold talks with top French officials, among them President Francois Hollande on Tuesday.

He will later visit the Lebanese expatriates in Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, Venezuela, Costa Rica and Colombia.