Lebanon summons British envoy over FM Cameron's Beirut trip
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Britain's Foreign Minister has reportedly breached diplomatic protocol during a recent trip to Lebanon.
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Britain’s Foreign Secretary David Cameron during his trip to Beirut, Lebanon on February 1, 2024 (AFP)
Lebanon's caretaker Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib summoned the British Ambassador to Lebanon and handed him a protest note regarding the recent visit of Foreign Secretary David Cameron to Beirut, state-run National News Agency reported on Tuesday.
The measure was reportedly due to Cameron breaking a diplomatic protocol when visiting the country, but no further details on the nature of the incident were provided.
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London announced in a statement that his visit, which lasted for one day and was concluded on February 1, was part of his announced tour of the region looking to "ease regional tensions," which included several Arab countries.
This marked Cameron's first official visit to Lebanon as Foreign Minister after his previous trip in September 2015 when he was Prime Minister. It was also his fourth visit to the Middle East region in his current role.
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A similar incident took place in March 2023, prompting the Lebanese Foreign Ministry then to summon the British envoy, "due to Britain's lack of respect for diplomatic protocols and failure to inform the embassy of the visit."
While in Beirut, Cameron met with Lebanon's Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati, the Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri, the Lebanese Army chief General Joseph Aoun, and the head of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon General Stefano Del Col.
