Minister of Information Tarek Mitri of Lebanon

Tarek Mitri has served since 2005 as the Lebanese Minister of Culture.

Mitri was the Coordinator of Interreligious Relations and Dialogue at the World Council of Churches, Geneva, from 1991 to 2005, and Program Secretary for Christian-Muslim dialogue.

Mitri was a Visiting lecturer at the Harvard Divinity School.

Mitri has published in Arabic, French and English.

On the NewsHour, Mitri discusses Lebanon's official perspective.

Born in 1950, Tarek Mitri is Lebanon’s culture minister and has also served intermittently as acting foreign minister.

Mitri is a prominent academic figure and has taught at the St.

As culture minister, Mitri has been a tremendous advocate of freedom of expression in Lebanon, helping to overturn numerous bans on plays and films.

Lebanese information minister Tarek Mitri said the incident “jeopardizes the national interest and the Lebanese consensus against dragging Lebanon and giving an.

Beirut- Lebanon's Acting Foreign Minister Tarek Mitri said Saudi Arabia's travel advisory to its citizens to leave Lebanon immediately did not affect other foreign communities, for a reason.

Mitri said the Saudi action was prompted by "specific threats" against the Kingdom.

Dr Tarek Mitri has served since July 2008 as the Information Minister.

Tarek Mitri was appointed by president Emile Lahoud to the cabinet of prime minister Fouad Siniora.

Mitri is planning to do, then the seminar’s declared aims of restoring Beirut's position as the "capital of Arabic books" and building “bridges between Arabic culture and the cultures of the world" sound hollow at best.

With regards to the sticky issue of Sheba'a Farms, Tarek Mitri said there are only two possible ways to settle the issue.

Mitri was not shy of admitting that the Lebanese political scene remains typically unpredictable with regional rather than internal developments being the main influence.

We have not received from Hezbollah any sign that they will risk dragging Lebanon into this conflict, Mitri said as Israel's deadly onslaught against Gaza entered its 10th day.

Mitri said Hezbollah's political standing in Lebanon has been greatly enhanced during its three-week battle with Israel, and that its views on the size and mandate of an international force will have to be taken into account.

Hezbollah's resisting so forcefully to Israel has raised their popularity," Mitri said in an interview in New York, where he lobbied the United States and other countries to support an immediate cease-fire in Lebanon.

Mitri said that the Lebanese government, which includes two Hezbollah ministers, has endorsed a proposal by Lebanon's prime minister, Fouad Siniora, to permit the enlargement of the 2,000-member UN.

Dr Mitri described himself to the Central Committee as an old friend of the WCC from a small country whose problems were inversely proportional to its size.

Speaking at a press conference before the Central Committee hearing, Dr Mitri said there was evidence to accuse Israel of war crimes, including the use of prohibited arms against civilians.

Dr Mitri said the two priorities to make sure such wars did not happen again were a return to the peace process for the region and the preservation of the integrity of Lebanon rather than "leaving it as a battleground for the wars of others.

Speaking following a Cabinet session headed by President Michel Sleiman at the Baabda Palace, Information Minister Tarek Mitri said Lebanon's stance has been clear since the beginning of the assault on Gaza, adding that Sleiman", "Daily Star Lebanon.

At a press conference after a cabinet meeting, Mitri said Lebanon's stance regarding an Arab summit had been.

Information Minister Tarek Mitri said such attacks "harm national interest" and could give Israel a pretext to attack.

Information minister Tarek Mitri said Hizbullah had distanced itself from the attack.

Lebanese Information Minister Tarek Mitri said Hezbollah, which fought a ferocious war with Israel in the summer of 2006, was not responsible for the morning salvo, adding that he didn't know who was.

Prior to the rocket exchange, Mitri was downplaying the possibility that Hezbollah might open a second front against Israel.

Information Minister Tarek Mitri said that all factions in Lebanon's governing coalition, including Hizbullah, were keen not to get dragged into another conflict with Israel, "at least for now.

Mitri said the Riyad Nassar Librarys inauguration was an invaluable and timely achievement coinciding with the restoration of Lebanons National Public Library and government plans to build new such facilities across the country.

Mitri said Syria has not yet informed the Lebanese government of its choice for ambassador to Beirut.

Speaking with LBC, Mitri said his proposals for principles guiding the Lebanese press were norms widely accepted across the world, including balanced and objective reporting and proscriptions for defusing violent sectarian rhetoric.

For his part, Mitri said Monday that his proposal was not embedded or influenced by national or regional politics and affirmed his willingness to hold additional meetings with the press.