The EU foreign policy chief will visit Egypt and Lebanon, but not Israel, to discuss peace initiatives and regional stability. The EU foreign policy chief politics and security Josep Borrell today leaves for a several-day tour in the Middle East, during which he will gather support for a ceasefire, DPA reported. The agency notes that Borrell is expected to visit Egypt and Lebanon, but not Israel, BTA quoted.
According to information from his office in Brussels, the head of European diplomacy intends to meet Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in Cairo tomorrow and also visit the Rafah crossing point to the Gaza Strip.
Meetings with mediators from Egypt, Qatar and the US are high on his agenda, the office added.
On Tuesday, Borrell intends to meet with Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry and participate in an Arab League meeting.
Borrell will be in Lebanon on Wednesday and Thursday, where he will meet with Prime Minister Najib Mikati, Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri and Lebanese Armed Forces Commander General Joseph Aoun. He will also meet with the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Migration of Lebanon Abdallah Bou Habib.
Borrell will discuss with his Lebanese counterpart the EU's support for Lebanon's "sustainability and stability", as well as Lebanon's role in the region.
The statement makes it clear that no stop in Israel is planned.
Borrell has repeatedly criticized Israel's actions in the Gaza Strip and condemned the "horrific terrorist attacks" of October 7, in which about 1,200 people in Israel were killed and 250 people were taken hostage.
However, he stated to the magazine "Foreign Policy" in May, that one horror cannot justify another.
According to the "Hamas" controlled Palestinian Ministry of Health almost 41,000 people have been killed as a result of the conflict in Gaza.
Ceasefire talks between Israel and "Hamas" have been slipping for months. According to a publication in the "Financial Times" the US armed forces are already preparing for the failure of the negotiations.
The possible cease-fire is also connected with hopes of avoiding further escalation of hostilities, DPA points out.