The party's headquarters in Maarab received a high-level Ukrainian delegation, headed by Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sibiga, accompanied by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's Special Envoy Maxim Sobh, Consul General Tamer Tounsi, Ukrainian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Georgy Tekha, Counselor George Al-Jaridi, in the presence of members of the Strong Republic bloc, MPs: Camille Chamoun, Nazih Matta, Razi Al-Hajj and Elias Stephan, Head of the Party's Medical Services Department Antoine Abi Habli and the official in the External Relations Department Tony Darwish.

The visit came as part of the delegation's tour of Lebanon and Syria, and we discussed various developments, changes and transformations in Lebanon and the region, the latest of which was the fall of the Assad regime in Syria. We also discussed the details of the war that has been going on in Ukraine since February 2022 and ways to reach a just solution to end this costly and bloody conflict.
The Ukrainian Foreign Minister stressed his country's keenness to strengthen bilateral relations between the two countries, and that this stage, despite its sensitivity and difficulty, is a stage of opportunities. He expressed his admiration for Lebanon, the "great country", as he was surprised by the great potential that this small country, which he is visiting for the first time, has, expressing his country's readiness to cooperate with Lebanon and contribute in several fields, including energy, food security, and others.
The Minister also expressed his personal appreciation for me, my experience and my history of resistance in general, especially in the face of the Syrian regime and the risks I took, leading to several years of detention. He also thanked me for my positions in support of just causes and rights in the face of injustice and tyranny, which demonstrates my firm belief in justice and democracy.

For my part, I gave a detailed explanation of the situation in Lebanon in terms of its social and political structure, historical ideological differences, and current political developments, especially the status of the current government, the presidential file, and the ceasefire agreement.

I considered that the current government resembles the other face of Lebanon, and is under the control of the axis of resistance, which still has the ability to influence internally and disrupt, despite everything that has happened to it in Lebanon and the region, and all the calamities it has brought upon the countries under its influence and their peoples.

CENTCOM Forces Strike Multiple Houthi Targets in Yemen

U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) forces conducted multiple precision strikes against Iran-backed Houthi targets in Sana’a and coastal locations within Houthi-controlled territory in Yemen, Dec. 30 and 31.

On Dec. 30 and 31, U.S. Navy ships and aircraft targeted a Houthi command and control facility and advanced conventional weapon (ACW) production and storage facilities that included missiles and uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAV). These facilities were used in Houthi operations, such as attacks against U.S. Navy warships and merchant vessels in the southern Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. In addition, U.S. Navy and U.S. Air Force aircraft destroyed a Houthi coastal radar site and seven cruise missiles and one-way attack UAVs over the Red Sea.

There were no injuries or damage to U.S. personnel or equipment in either incident.

The strikes are a part of CENTCOM's effort to degrade Iran-backed Houthi efforts to threaten regional partners and military and merchant vessels in the region.

I was pleased with the call from His Excellency the Egyptian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Badr Abdel Aati, who stressed the importance of the role of the two countries in achieving stability and prosperity for the region, and that Egypt and Syria share a common history and a promising future, God willing.