November 7, 2026
The Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, Youssef Raji, issued firm political positions from the Canadian capital, Ottawa, in which he stressed the exclusiveness of weapons in the hands of the Lebanese army, and restricted the decision of war and peace to the legitimate institutions of the state, stressing that Lebanon “is not the property of a party, a sect, or a leader,” and that it is no longer acceptable for it to turn into an arena for wars in which it has no decision.
Raji’s statements came during a massive meeting organized by the Lebanese Embassy in Canada under the auspices of Ambassador Bashir Touq, and attended by Canadian Immigration Minister Lina Diab and Transport Minister Stephen MacKinnon, according to what the Lebanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants announced.
The meeting witnessed a wide presence of various components of the Lebanese community, which included the representative of the Supreme Shiite Islamic Council of Canada, Mr. Nabil Abbas, and the Commissioner of the Sheikhdom of Mind of the Unitarian Druze sect in Ontario, Sheikh Muhammad Abu Hamdan, along with representatives of the Maronite, Greek Orthodox, Greek Melkite Catholic, Armenian Orthodox, and Syriac Catholic churches. Representatives of the offices of the Lebanese parties in Ottawa and Canada also attended, including the “Lebanese Forces”, “Lebanese Phalange”, “Free Patriotic Movement”, “Progressive Socialist Party”, “Free Patriots Party”, and “Future Movement”, in addition to representatives of Lebanese Canadian associations.
At the beginning of his speech, Minister Raji expressed his appreciation to Canada for embracing generations of Lebanese, addressing the expatriates as a Lebanese citizen before he became a minister, and thanking them for their sacrifices and adherence to their homeland despite the harsh circumstances. He stressed that free, sovereign, and independent Lebanon is the one that deserves their adherence to it, as the state alone has sovereignty, weapons, and decision-making, stressing that there is a fundamental difference between defending a cause and destroying the nation for the sake of others’ agendas.
In the aspect related to expatriate services, Raji Bushra announced the imminent provision of biometric passport issuance services in Canada, revealing at the same time the fruitful discussions he had held with the Canadian side to establish direct flights between the two countries to meet the needs of the community and alleviate their suffering.
