Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit met here on Saturday, separately, with Lebanese Prime Minister Hassan Diab, former Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants of Lebanon Charbel Wehbe. During the meetings, they discussed latest developments in Lebanon and the circumstances of the Beirut Port explosion as well as the Arab countries support for Lebanon, especially in the field of reconstruction and investigation of the incident. Aboul Gheit, left Beirut this afternoon heading back to the Egyptian capital, Cairo. Prior to his departure from Rafic Hariri International Airport, Aboul Gheit said, "I trust that the people of Lebanon are in solidarity, and with their strength of performance and self-confidence they are capable of overcoming this crisis." Prime Minister Diab received in the afternoon at the Grand Serail the President of the European Council Charles Michel, who was accompanied by Head of the European Union Delegation to Lebanon Ambassador Ralph Tarraf, Chief Foreign Policy Advisor, Maryem Van den Heavel, European Council's Advisors Luiza Bara and Yasmina Amire. The EU delegation was received in the presence of Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense Zeina Akar and Prime Minister's Advisor for Diplomatic Affairs Ambassador Gebran Soufan. The delegation offered condolences to Premier Diab and informed him that the European Union will provide urgent humanitarian aid to Lebanon. Michel confirmed that he had contacted European Union's member states to urge them to participate in the conference convened by French President Emmanuel Macron, and stressed the importance of expediting the implementation of the required reforms. Diab thanked Michel for the condolences and the humanitarian aid that European countries would provide. Diab affirmed that the government welcomes transparent mechanisms for the reconstruction of Beirut Diab also said on Saturday that he would call for early parliamentary elections to defuse an escalating political crisis following the catastrophic explosion at the port of Beirut. "We cannot get out of this crisis without early parliamentary elections," he said, adding, he was not to blame for the country's deep economic and political woes. — Agencies
