BEIRUT: In a recent telephone conversation, Lebanon's Caretaker Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, Abdallah Bou Habib, and Egypt's Foreign Affairs Minister, Badr Abdel Aati, discussed Cairo's diplomatic initiatives aimed at stopping Israeli aggression against Lebanon. The discussion also encompassed the ongoing efforts to elect a new Lebanese president, a position that has been vacant for some time. According to National News Agency-Lebanon, Bou Habib expressed gratitude towards Egypt for its unwavering support for Lebanon. He acknowledged Egypt's role in collaborating with other Arab and Western nations to broker a ceasefire. Bou Habib also commended Egypt's significant contribution to humanitarian efforts in Lebanon, particularly through medical and relief aid. Abdel Aati reaffirmed Egypt's commitment to facilitating a ceasefire in Lebanon and emphasized the importance of implementing Security Council Resolution 1701. He also highlighted the need to address Lebanon's presidential vacancy, statin g that no external entity should have the authority to veto a candidate agreed upon by the Lebanese people or impose a candidate on them.