Jeita Grotto still closed

Lebanese Tourism Minister Michel Pharaon said the Jeita Grotto will continue to be closed until all safety measures are secured.

At a meeting with Egyptian Ambassador to Lebanon Mohamed Badr El Din Zayed, the Lebanese minister said his country will continue to be committed to the outcome of legal procedures and to improving safety standards in the area of the incident.

Recently, a young Egyptian tourist drowned in a river located inside a popular Mount Lebanon cave. Television footage showed medics carrying the body of Mina Ashraf on a stretcher from inside the lower cave of the Jeita Grotto, located 11 miles north of Beirut, and into an ambulance.

The minister highlighted that Lebanon maintained distinguished relations with Egypt in the various domains.

He referred to a meeting of the Arab Tourism Ministers Council in May, in which he will especially discuss with his Egyptian counterpart ways to enhance tourism cooperation.

For his part, the Egyptian ambassador said the meeting tackled ways to enhance bilateral tourism relations, especially preparations for the tourism ministers' meeting.

Egypt is keen on enhancing tourism relations with Lebanon, Zayed asserted.

The meeting also went over the latest regional and Lebanese developments, Zayed said, asserting Egypt's keenness on the stability of Lebanon and activating governmental action.