Lebanon welcomes UAE’s decision to lift travel ban

Beirut, May 5 (IANS/WISHAVWARTA ) Lebanon welcomed the decision by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to lift a travel ban on the country. The UAE Foreign Ministry confirmed on Sunday that Emirati citizens will be allowed to travel to Lebanon as of May 7, days after a visit by Lebanese President Joseph Aoun to the Gulf country, Xinhua news agency reported. Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, quoted by the state-run National News Agency, hailed the UAE’s decision as “a testament to the deep fraternal ties between our two countries.” The prime minister expressed Lebanon’s “utmost gratitude and appreciation to the UAE” and President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. He added that Lebanon and its people eagerly await the return of Emirati and other Gulf and Arab visitors. Lebanon’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs also welcomed the UAE’s move in a statement, emphasising its importance following the recent visit of President Aoun to the UAE. The ministry said the decision would strengthen bilateral ties and serve the interests of both nations, expressing its aspiration to further develop relations with all Arab countries based on historical, cultural, and shared ties. During Aoun’s visit, both countries agreed to facilitate travel and implement mechanisms for smoother movement between them. The UAE, along with other Gulf nations, had withdrawn diplomats and imposed the travel ban in October 2021 in response to remarks made by Lebanon’s then-Information Minister George Kordahi regarding the Yemen conflict, which Gulf countries deemed “unacceptable and offensive.” -UAE