Lebanese Foreign Minister Youssef Raji discussed with Canadian Minister of Transport Steven MacKinnon the possibility of a direct air link between Lebanon and Canada. According to the report published on Thursday, 5 November, both officials agreed to continue the case through the relevant channels of both countries.
The meeting is part of Raji’s visit to Ottawa. The Minister stressed the importance of such a liaison for the Lebanese community in Canada. There is no record of any decision to put into service.
Direct flight Lebanon–Canada: an agreed follow-up
The agreement reported concerns the continuation of exchanges between the authorities concerned. It does not specify which airports would be served, the company that would operate the route, or the frequency of flights.
No launch schedule was announced. At this stage, the subject is therefore a matter of bilateral discussions. The minutes do not allow a new service to be presented as authorized or available at the reservation.
Diaspora at the Exchange Centre in Ottawa
Raji also met with the Canadian Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, Lena Metlege Diab. The meeting focused on relations between the two countries and the situation of the Lebanese community. The Minister praised the role of Canadians of Lebanese descent in maintaining ties with their country of origin.
In Parliament, he met with the Speaker of the House of Commons, Francis Scarpaleggia. He reaffirmed Canadian support for Lebanon and informed himself of its needs, the situation in the South and the Lebanese-Israeli negotiations.
Raji outlined the difficulties associated with the Israeli attacks and reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to restore its authority throughout the territory. These diplomatic exchanges accompany the aerial part of the visit, without constituting a new aid announcement.
The direct flight record must now be monitored by the competent authorities. The record does not mention a technical meeting already scheduled or a commitment made by an airline.
MEA Airbus A320 taking off from Beirut, 14 June 2014. Illustrative archives; No operator has been announced for the Lebanon–Canada project. Photo: Flo Weiss / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
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