Miqati: Govt. Rejects EU Decision on Hizbullah, Will Seek to Reverse It

Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Miqati on Tuesday declared that the Lebanese government rejects the European Union's decision to put Hizbullah's so-called military wing on its list of “terrorist organizations.”

“It has become evident to everyone that the situation is not fine and that overcoming the stalemate will require concessions from everyone,” Miqati said during an iftar banquet organized by the Social Welfare Institutions at the BIEL exhibition center in Beirut.

“We call on everyone to sacrifice their narrow political interests for the sake of the country's interest,” Miqati added.

He warned that “it has become easier for Lebanon's enemies to act in an unhealthy environment and they are working night and day to undermine the country's stability and prevent its progress and prosperity.”

The premier said he was hoping the EU would refrain from designating Hizbullah's “so-called military wing” as a “terrorist organization” due to the possible “negative impact on Lebanon and the Lebanese components.”

“We will follow up on the issue through the diplomatic means that preserve the best ties between Lebanon and Europe and the international community, and here I will reiterate what I have always been saying: Lebanon has no enemy but Israel and Lebanon with all its components is keen on its Arab and international relations,” Miqati added.

“The Lebanese government rejects this decision and will seek to reverse it through its nonstop contacts with all EU member states,” he went on to say.

On Monday, the EU placed Hizbullah's military wing on its list of “terrorist organizations.”

Hizbullah described the decision as a “hostile and unjust” step, saying it was “written by American hands and with Zionist ink.”

"Hizbullah firmly rejects the EU decision... and sees it as a hostile and unjust decision that has no justification and is not based on any proof," the party said in a statement.

To get the required agreement of all 28 EU member states, European foreign ministers had to overcome reservations of some members that the move would further destabilize Lebanon, where Hizbullah plays a key role in politics.

Accordingly, EU political and economic ties with Lebanon will be fully maintained in a delicate balancing act.

Hizbullah's military wing was blamed for a deadly attack on Israeli tourists in Bulgaria last year.

In March, a self-confessed Hizbullah operative was also convicted in Cyprus of plotting a similar attack.

Lebanon had asked the EU not to blacklist Hizbullah on the grounds it was an "essential component of Lebanese society."

Support for the EU sanctions against Hizbullah grew in recent weeks after the party openly declared it was sending fighters to back the Syrian regime.