Islam Times - EU foreign policy chief meets Lebanese PM over Beirut bomb attack

Islam Times - European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton has met with Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati over the recent car bomb attack in Beirut.

The Tuesday meeting, held at the Government Palace (Grand Serail) in Beirut, mainly focused on bomb attack, which killed eight people, including chief of Lebanon's Internal Security Forces, General Wissam al-Hassan.

They also discussed the latest developments in the region and the ongoing unrest in Syria.

"There are some who are trying to divert attention from the situation in the region by causing problems in Lebanon… This attack is a terrible thing. We are concerned about the stability of Lebanon," Ashton said after the meeting.

“We appreciate the positions of Mr. Mikati to maintain the cohesion and integrity of Lebanon under these difficult circumstances,” she was quoted as telling Mikati.

She also held a meeting with Lebanese President Michel Sleiman in his official residence (Baabda Palace) during her one-day stay.

Later in the day, Ashton held talks with Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, head of the Future bloc, Fouad Siniora, and Lebanese Army Commander Gen. Jean Kahwagi.

On October 19, a car bomb blast in Beirut's eastern Ashrafiya district killed at least eight people and injured scores of others.

The blast was the first major bomb attack in Beirut since 2008. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack. Mikati said the government was trying to identify the perpetrators and that they would be punished.