Cyprus FM calls for 'diplomatic dialogue' to resolve conflict with Israel

Caretaker Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib met Tuesday with Cyprus Foreign Minister Constantinos Kombos in Beirut and discussed the bilateral relations between their countries, the refugee crisis and the border clashes.

In a news conference after their meeting, Kombos encouraged "all parties to engage in a diplomatic dialogue" to "peacefully settle" the Israeli-Lebanese conflict.

Kombos and Bou Habib also discussed the Syrian refugees crisis. "The refugee problem has become a source of concern for both of us and must be addressed in an effective manner by addressing the roots of the problem," Kombos said.

An aid ship loaded with some 200 tons of food had set sail for Gaza on Tuesday in a pilot program for the opening of a sea corridor to the territory, where the five-month-old Israel-Hamas war has driven hundreds of thousands of Palestinians to the brink of starvation.

Kombos said that after the first ship carrying aid from Larnaca to the besieged Gaza Strip has landed, "we have already put the mechanism in place" for larger shipments and "will be working towards making this a more systematic exercise with increased volumes."