Frances Guy

Getting out of Beirut

After the top level visitors it was a breath of fresh air to get out of Beirut on 12 June and go as far north as I could to visit a small project in a village in Akar. Akar is among the poorest areas of Lebanon.  The land is rocky and not much grows apart from olives.  The Syrian border is close and it is easier to get to Homs in Syria than it is to Tripoli in Lebanon. When I asked the villagers what people "do" in the village, they replied we join the army. I knew this before intellectually but it is a different thing to be confronted with it. On army pay they earn enough "not to live (splendidly) and not to die (in misery)" as one of them put it. Lives are simple but not unpleasant. The air is fresh, everyone has their own olives and olive oil. The school, where we had the small project with UNDP, is offering some classes in English and computers for the community. One of the women who offered us lunch was pleased with her new skills. And the army gives people a sense of loyalty - a profound loyalty to the nation that I had not truly met in Lebanon up until that point. I am no military person and have no family in the armed forces although clearly at work I have come across many of Britain's finest soldiers. But I was touched by this loyalty and the total lack of any complaint about anything. It is common in all walks of life these days to hear complaints about rising prices, about politicians, about the British legacy etc etc.. Here were men who had lost friends, been severely wounded - at least one we met had lost a leg -but they thanked us for coming to visit and thanked the EU for helping provide an olive press and didn't complain. No wonder President Sleiman has some faith in the future when this is the calibre of people he has been working with throughout his life. Diplomats really do need to get out and about to understand

Posted at 19:40 14 June 2008 by Frances Guy  |  Comments[0]

Visits

I have noted before that visits are hard work but also very rewarding.  This week's visit by the Foreign Secretary was both!  It was very short which made the timing very tight and gave him no opportunity to see anything of the country.   Any Embassy would prefer a little more time to get visitors out of the capital city and away from political talks.  No country can truly be understood inside those confines.  But any visit, however short, can give you new insights.   We achieved our objectives: to offer our clear public support for the Doha agreement and President Sleiman, encourage the early formation of a national unity government and talk about practical support for the security forces and to help with Palestinian refugees.  But more importantly the Foreign Secretary heard first hand from the Lebanese their concerns about the current political situation, their hopes for peace in the wider region and the importance of dealing with the issue of Palestinian refugees in Lebanon. 

And - we managed to squeeze in a quick meeting with Embassy staff which always helps.   We all like to know who we are working for!

Posted at 11:22 11 June 2008 by Frances Guy  |  Comments[1]

25 May 2008

Election and Inauguration of General Michel Sleiman as President of the Republic of Lebanon.  Just the sort of official occasion where it is a real honour to be a diplomat.  It is a tremendous priviledge to be present at such a historic moment.   Lebanon has survived without a President for 6 months but it has been hard going.  And under the last President the office itself fell into disrepute. 

President Sleiman has a very difficult task. As the symbol of the unity of the nation, he has to help keep a potentially squabbling national unity government together.  He pledges to start the debate on a national defence strategy to consider the future of the arms of the resistance.   He commits himself to try and make Lebanon a country where young people want to stay not to keep emigrating.  He is solemn and dignified and looks a bit tired round the edges.

I enjoy saying hello to old friends who have come to attend the ceremony: Abubaker el Kirby the Foreign Minister of Yemen, Hoshyar Zebari the Foreign Minister of Iraq.  I enjoy too watching the diplomatic comings and goings - the Iranians with the Saudis, the French and the Egyptians,  which Lebanese politicians come to greet which Arab leaders.   The Prime Minister of Qatar beaming at everyone.

We stand in a long queue to greet the new President, two lady ambassadors squashed between the commander of UNIFIL and the envoy from the Vatican.  We thought we couldn't be better protected.  Both managed to get to the President before us.  And we thought we were both pretty bolshy ...  obviously no chivalry these days.   

I hand over a message from Gordon Brown which gets broadcast in its entirety in Arabic within 15 minutes.  I thank our press officers for a good piece of work.  

The night sky is filled with fireworks..  Long live President Sleiman.. may God give him strength. 

Posted at 12:55 27 May 2008 by Frances Guy  |  Comments[0]

May 24...back to the wine...

 As soon as the tents were lifted from the downtown sit-in on 22 May people moved back into the streets, me included.  Joy in the streets as life returned to this centre of town deserted for 18 months.   Spare a thought for the restaurant owners.   The restaurants have been closed for at least a year, longer in some cases.   They have no staff, nothing in the stores, the fridges long switched off and the staff long left for the Gulf.  But from 22 May some of them managed to serve more than 200 lunches and dinners.. how?  That's the Lebanese genius. The press reckon up to 40 restaurants will re-open by the end of a week, and a further 30 within the month if the situation holds.   Others have been closed for good. required about 4000 staff.... 

The diplomatic community had the pleasure of a lunch at Ksara - to enjoy more of the wines of the Beka'a. The cellars are set in natural caves which probably date back to the Romans but which were rediscovered at the end of the 19th century by the Jesuits. Since then they have been used to age wine.   Ksara is one of the bigger wine producers in Lebanon and expanding all the time.  Like others more than 50% is for export.

Pictures of General Sleiman are beginning to sprout along with Lebanese flags everywhere.  A bit hesitant I would suggest to believe that after 6 months there will really be an election  tomorrow.  But the signs are there.. The important guests are arriving and those of us who live near the Ministry of Defence can confirm that the army signalled their farewells to their commander with a stream of military music, a pleasant change from the sound of bullets.   Tomorrow a new era for Lebanon can begin.

Posted at 12:45 27 May 2008 by Frances Guy  |  Comments[0]