Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri (R) shakes hands with US Middle East envoy George Mitchell in Beirut on January 19, 2009 (AFP)
BEIRUT (AP) – U.S. Middle East envoy George Mitchell says Lebanon is key to regional peace. He was in Beirut on Tuesday and Wednesday at the start of a regional tour aimed at restarting Middle East peace talks.
Mitchell’s visit is part of a U.S. effort to forge a wider peace that would end Israel’s conflicts with the Palestinians, Syria and Lebanon and normalize Israel’s ties with the rest of the Arab world.
In a statement, Mitchell said Lebanon would play a key role in the effort to build a lasting and comprehensive peace and stability in the Middle East.
U.S Middle East envoy George Mitchell, left, shakes hands withLebanese Foreign Minister Ali Shami, at the Lebanese foreign ministry, in Beirut, Lebanon, Jan. 19, 2010 (AP)
U.S Middle East envoy George Mitchell, left, covered from the rain by his bodyguard, right, at the entrance of the Lebanese foreign ministry, in Beirut, Lebanon, Jan. 19, 2010 (AP)