Deputy Prime Minister Issam Fares spent three days in Cyprus on an official visit with the Lebanese President on head of a large delegation.




The three fruitful days were crowned with the signing, on the first day of the trip, of three agreements:

-An agreement to combat drugs, illegal trafficking, and organized crime

-An educational, cultural, and scientific bilateral cooperation agreement

-An agreement for the acceptance of illegal residents



Deputy Premier Fares, who had taken part in the talks and held bilateral agreements with high-level Cypriot officials, evoked the importance of this visit which resulted in enhancing cooperation and openness, and signing agreements that strengthen and consolidate the bilateral ties and open new horizons for the Lebanese. He outlined the importance of the previous agreements reached with the Cypriot officials, such as the agreement signed last year by the Health Minister, as well as the educational, scientific, and cultural agreement which encourages the Cypriot students to return to Lebanon’s institutes and universities.

Following the closed-door session between the Lebanese President and his Cypriot counterpart Mr. Glafcos Clerides, Fares and the members of the Lebanese and Cypriot delegations joined the two presidents to hold enlarged talks.

On the schedule was also a meeting with the Arab Ambassadors accredited in Cyprus in which took part the Lebanese President and the members of the Lebanese delegation.



The Deputy Premier and the members of the Lebanese delegation had also the chance to hold a meeting with the Cypriot Foreign Minister.




It is to note also that this visit paved the way for the conclusion of three other agreements in air and maritime transport, as well as the guarantee of investments and deposits. An accord was reached according to which these agreements shall be signed in the near future by Cypriot Foreign Minister during his upcoming visit to Beirut.

Following the talks, the farewell ceremony took place in the courtyard of the Palace where the national Lebanese and Cypriot anthems were played.
Fares Evaluates his Visit to CyprusOn the heels of his official visit to Cyprus, Deputy Prime Minister Issam Fares express relief at the foreign trips he is undertaking and the positive results emanating from them, deeming that such visits strengthen ties, enhance means of cooperation, consolidate the friendship ties between Lebanon and the international community, and promote Lebanon’s international stature.

Fares considered that these visits also enable the world leaders to create a clearer idea about the situation in Lebanon and the whole region. He remarked that any openness to the world is a profit to Lebanon.

Finally, Fares underlined the key importance of personal contacts and ties between the heads of countries and leaders, which he considered as primordial for the promotion and reinforcement of official contacts.