Estonian, Finnish prime ministers visit Lebanon
Prime Minister Taavi Rõivas will visit Lebanon together with the Prime Minister of Finland, Juha Sipilä, on August 17-18 to monitor the United Nations’ UNIFIL operation and discuss the current situation in the area with Lebanese leaders.
The prime ministers will meet troops that form part of the FINIRISHBATT battalion in the UNIFIL peacekeeping operation, which Estonia joined on May 2015. This is not the first time Estonia contributes to UNIFIL - infantry company ESTCOY-1 was in Lebanon in 1996-1997. Currently the UNIFIL mission is the largest military deployment abroad for the Estonian Defence Forces.
In addition to meeting the peacekeepers and the leadership of the operation, the premiers will also get an overview of the humanitarian and refugee situation in the region.
During their visit, Rõivas and Sipilä will also have meetings with the Lebanese Prime Minister Tammam Salam and Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri. The discussions will focus on the Syrian conflict, the wider regional situation in the Middle East, and bilateral relations between the countries.
Prime Minister Rõivas will also visit Istanbul on August 18, where he will meet with the members of the Foreign Economic Investment Board DEIK.
Editor: M. Oll