📰 2 sources 6 articles · 22 Oct 2026, 14:11 → 22 days ago

Bassil discusses apple file with Egyptian ambassador and proposes five Arab states buy the crop directly

Free Patriotic Movement head MP Gebran Bassil met Egypt's new ambassador to Lebanon, Tamim Khallaf, and discussed bilateral relations, current developments and a request to facilitate the export of Lebanese apples to Egypt. Bassil then sent a letter to the ambassadors of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, the UAE and Egypt proposing that part of public institutions' purchases be allocated to buying Lebanese apples directly from producers and exporters.

📍 Where things stand: The initiative remains at the stage of a proposal and a letter sent to the ambassadors, with no information in the reports about official responses or implementation results.

⏱️ Timeline

22 Oct 2026, 14:11 Reports emerged of a meeting between Free Patriotic Movement head MP Gebran Bassil and Egypt's new ambassador to Lebanon, Tamim Khallaf, in which the export of Lebanese apples to the Egyptian market was discussed, along with a Lebanese request and an anticipated move, without further details in the initial text.
22 Oct 2026, 14:11 The meeting, attended by MP Salim Aoun and described as introductory, covered bilateral relations between Beirut and Cairo, internal and regional developments, ways to de-escalate and preserve Lebanon's stability and sovereignty. Both sides stressed the importance of intensifying diplomatic efforts, and Ambassador Khallaf expressed interest in following up Bassil's request to buy Lebanese apples and facilitate their export to Egypt.
22 Oct 2026, 17:40 The Free Patriotic Movement announced that Bassil proposed to the ambassadors of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, the UAE and Egypt that part of their public institutions' purchases be allocated to buying Lebanese apples directly, aiming to support farmers and market the apple crop.
22 Oct 2026, 18:05 Bassil sent a letter to the ambassadors of the five countries proposing a mechanism to support apple farmers and exporters based on allocating part of public institutions' purchases, especially food supply bodies for the armed forces and educational and health institutions, to buy Lebanese apples directly from producers and exporters.