Italy Moving to Reopen Embassy in West Beirut

Italy is moving toward reopening its embassy in West Beirut in response to improved security in the Lebanese capital’s Muslim sector, an embassy official said today.

Ambassador Antonio Mancini, who lives in Christian East Beirut, has been crossing the dividing Green Line for work at his embassy office in the capital’s Muslim sector since Tuesday, the official said.

However, the “return of Ambassador Mancini and the rest of the staff to reside in West Beirut is still under consideration,” added the official, who asked not to be named.

Apart from the Greek Embassy, all Western diplomatic missions and most of the foreign community have fled West Beirut in the last two years because of militia fighting and the kidnapings of foreigners.

Prime Minister Rashid Karami, a Sunni Muslim, on Tuesday urged embassies to reopen in West Beirut. “We shall be responsible for their security and that of their institutions,” he said.