Lebanese officials work to maintain friendly relations with Cyprus following Hezbollah threats

By BASSEM MROUE and MENELAOS HADJICOSTIS
Associated Press

BEIRUT (AP) — Lebanese government officials are working to maintain friendly relations with Cyprus a day after the militant Hezbollah group threatened to attack the Mediterranean island if it allows Israel to use its territories to attack Lebanon. Lebanon’s state news agency said the country’s foreign minister told his Cypriot counterpart Thursday that Beirut relies on the positive role that Cyprus plays in support of stability in the Middle East. Cyprus and Lebanon have had close and historic relations for decades and the island became a refuge for thousands of Lebanese who resided in the island during Lebanon’s 1975-90 civil war.