To Bratislava
To Prague
Fares Press Conference

To Bratislava
Deputy Prime Minister Issam Fares arrived to the International Airport of Bratislava on an official visit accompanying H.E. the President of the Republic on the head of a delegation including also Foreign Minister Mahmud Hammud, Lebanon’s Ambassador to Slovakia Samir Chama, and the heads of the Press and Editors Syndicates Mohammad Baalbaki and Melhem Karam.




Fares took part in a large round of talks between Lebanon and Slovakia in which participated also Minister Hammud, Ambassador Chama, and Presidential Spokesman Rafic Chlala. Slovakia was represented in the talks by the Director General of the Presidency of Slovakia, the Director General of Foreign Relations in the Slovak Presidency, and the Director of the Media Office in the Presidency.

At the end of the talks, Fares attended the reunion held by President Lahoud and his Slovak counterpart Rudolf Schuster, in presence of the members of both the Lebanese and Slovak delegations and the heads of both syndicates Mohammad Baalbaki and Melhem Karam.



Fares and the members of both the Lebanese and Slovak delegations were also present during the visit paid by the head of the Slovak National Council Jozef Migas to the Lebanese President.

Later, the Lebanese and Slovak Presidents completed their discussions in a lengthy round of talks held at the Slovak Presidential Palace while Fares met with the Lebanese and Slovak delegations in a separate meeting room.

In the evening, President Schuster threw a dinner banquet in honor of the Lebanese delegation at the archeological fort of Bratislava. The dinner was attended by scores of figures representing the Slovak State and a number of official personalities, heads of parties, deputies, and military leaders.



To PragueFares arrived in Prague on an official visit upon the invitation of Czech President Vaclav Havel, accompanied by H.E. President of the Republic Emile Lahoud, the First Lady Mrs. Andre Lahoud, and an official delegation that includes, apart of Fares, Foreign Minister Mahmud Hammud, the heads of the Press and Editors Syndicates Mohammad Baalbaki and Melhem Karam, and Lebanon’s Ambassador to the Czech Republic Zuheir Kazzaz.



The first round of the Lebanese-Czech talks was held at the fort of Prague, the headquarters of the Czech Presidency. The official ceremony had taken place in the courtyard of the port upon the arrival of the Lebanese delegation where it was hosted by President Vaclav and a number of his senior assistants. Later, the Lebanese and the Czech delegations entered to the Throne Hall. Following a brief closed-door session between President Vaclav and his Lebanese homologue, a round of talks was held which Fares attended, in presence of Minister Hammud, Lebanon’s Ambassador to the Czech Republic, and Presidential Spokesman Rafic Chlala.

Fares also participated in the meeting President Lahoud held with the Arab Ambassadors accredited in Prague, among who was present the Dean of the Arab Diplomatic Corps Algerian Ambassador Abdel Rahman Mazian. Discussions tackled the situation of the Arab diaspora in Prague and the relationship with the Czech Government. On the heels of the talks, both Presidents held a press conference at the Throne Hall in Prague.

Fares Press ConferenceIn the frame of his official visit, Deputy Prime Minister Issam Fares had met the press. Discussions mainly revolved around the following points:

• The visits paid to the emerging countries are very useful and constructive because these countries proffer great assistance to Lebanon in the international tribunes and forums
• Numerous are the means and fields of cooperation between Lebanon and Slovakia on the political and economic levels. Slovakia expressed full readiness to invest the large network of relationships it enjoys for the sake of Lebanon
• Any decision taken in Lebanon should take into consideration Lebanon’s interest and emanate from it
• Lebanon never yielded to pressure. It has unchangeable constants. Pressures never affected us
• We are completely engaged to the full implementation of UN Resolution 425, and what drew my attention today in Israel is that they have finally discovered that the Shebaa Farms are Lebanese
• The situation in Southern Lebanon is under control, and the establishment of tranquility requires a commitment from all parties