Poland in Lebanon

The key point of the visit was a discussion with his counterpart in the Lebanese Parliament, the Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs and Emigrants, Dr Fadi Alame, during which the two politicians discussed the current situation in Lebanon, the process of reconstruction of the country and the mandate of UNIFIL, declaring their willingness to strengthen parliamentary dialogue between Warsaw and Beirut.

The Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of Poland’s Parliament also had the opportunity to meet with the head of the Maronite Church, Cardinal Bechara Boutros al-Rahi, Patriarch of Antioch and All the East. During the meeting, the situation of Christians in Lebanon and the Middle East was discussed.

MP Kowal also met with Commander Lieutenant Colonel Damian Gronek, and representatives of the Polish Military Contingent in Lebanon, handing them the Polish flag on the occasion of Polish Armed Forces Day. There was also a moment of remembrance – the Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman visited Polish graves and placed a wreath at the Polish war cemetery in Beirut, paying tribute to Poles laid to rest on Lebanese soil.

An important element of the visit was also the aid dimension – together with the Director General of the Civil Defence of Lebanon, the Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman visited the fire station in the Burj El Barajneh district in the southern suburbs of Beirut, implemented as part of the Polish Aid programme with the participation of the Polish Centre for International Aid (PCPM).

The visit concluded with meetings with UNHCR representatives and a visit to a shelter for internally displaced persons, as well as a briefing provided by the United Nations Organization for the Monitoring of the Truce (UNTSO) on the security situation in the region.