ISTANBUL

Lebanese caretaker Foreign Minister Abdullah Bou Habib held talks Thursday with his Spanish counterpart Jose Manuel Albares, during which he praised Madrid's “just” position regarding the recent Israeli war on Lebanon.

Lebanon's National News Agency (NNA) reported that the meeting took place during a dinner in the capital Beirut that brought together Bou Habib, Albares and his accompanying delegation.

Bou Habib expressed Lebanon's appreciation for Spain's fair stance and its support during the Israeli war, as well as for the humanitarian aid it provided. He also commended Spain's active role in the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).

On Wednesday, Albares arrived in Lebanon and departed on Thursday for the Syrian capital, Damascus, where he met with officials from the new Syrian administration.

The visit follows Israel’s war on Lebanon, which lasted more than a year and left more than 4,000 people dead and around 17,000 injured, including a significant number of women and children.

Since Nov. 27 last year, a fragile cease-fire agreement has been in place between Israel and the Hezbollah group. But Israel continues to violate the agreement daily.

In earlier statements, Albares condemned the Israeli war on Lebanon, calling for an end to the hostilities and adherence to international law.

His visit to Lebanon also followed the election of the Lebanese parliament on Jan. 9, which chose Gen. Joseph Aoun as president, ending a more than two-year presidential vacuum caused by intense political disputes.

*Writing by Rania Abu Shamala