Keomigian from Budapest: Preserving Lebanon as a State Where Christians Live with Dignity and Equality with Other Sects
The Head of the Foreign Relations Department in the “Lebanese Forces,” former Minister Dr. Richard Keomigian, affirmed that “Lebanon is the last stronghold of faith, freedom, and dignified existence for Christians in the Eastern Mediterranean, the Levant, and the Middle East.” He emphasized the urgent need to help save, protect, preserve, and defend it.
Keomigian made these remarks while representing the “Lebanese Forces” and its leader, Dr. Samir Geagea, at a conference in the Hungarian capital, Budapest, titled “The Future of Lebanon – Christian Perspectives.” He led a delegation that also included the head of the party’s Development Department, Engineer Jean Khashan. The event was held at the invitation of the Hungarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The conference aimed to establish a fund supported by the Lebanese diaspora worldwide to finance projects that help Christians in Lebanon remain on their land despite the significant challenges they face on all levels. This support would focus on educational, healthcare, agricultural, and religious tourism sectors.
A Call for Support and Unity
Keomigian began his speech by thanking the Hungarian government, represented by Minister Tristan Azbej, State Secretary for the Aid of Persecuted Christians, and Minister Péter Szijjártó, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, for their hospitality and organization of this conference dedicated to supporting Lebanese Christians in various aspects of their lives.
He continued:
“I am here representing Dr. Samir Geagea, the leader of our party, the Lebanese Forces, which has the largest Christian base and the highest parliamentary representation. Our message is simple yet powerful: Lebanon is the last stronghold of faith, freedom, and dignified existence for Christians in the Eastern Mediterranean, the Levant, and the Middle East. Help us save, protect, preserve, and defend it.”
Keomigian stressed that Lebanese Christians come from a long history of struggle and resistance. Their ancestors endured all kinds of conflicts, wars, persecutions, intimidation, oppression, massacres, and genocides. Yet, they inherited a life of dignity, a faith enriched with traditions and values, and a beautiful country once called the “Switzerland or Paris of the Middle East,” despite its turbulent history of instability and insecurity.
He added:
“Regardless of our denomination—Catholic, Orthodox, Maronite, Armenian, Coptic, Latin, Melkite, Syriac, Assyrian, Chaldean, or Protestant—we belong to a unified faith and destiny. We are the children of the same Church, the ‘Église Combattante’ (Militant Church), as it is called in old Christian teachings. Therefore, let us unite around the same goals: preserving Lebanon as a state where Christians live with dignity, thrive in harmony, and enjoy justice and equality alongside other religious groups under a single constitution and the rule of law in a sovereign, democratic, and corruption-free state.”
Five Key Pillars for Lebanon’s Future
Keomigian emphasized that for the “Lebanese Forces,” Lebanon’s future cannot be built without a “Christian vision”—whether politically, socially, or financially. He outlined five fundamental pillars that this conference should focus on:
1. Restoring Lebanon’s full sovereignty and implementing all relevant UN Security Council Resolutions (1559, 1701, and 1680), along with the urgent necessity of returning all Syrian refugees to their homeland.
2. Implementing decentralization, as explicitly stated in the Taif Agreement.
3. Encouraging young Christian graduates to join the public sector.
4. Engaging Western friends—governments, individuals, and Lebanese expatriates—to invest in and support rural and urban development projects. (His colleague, Jean Khashan, head of CDDG, an NGO focused on development and rehabilitation, was set to present plans and studies in the following sessions.)
5. Rejecting the sale of Christian lands and the ceding of disputed territories, especially in border and peripheral areas.
Gratitude to Hungary
Keomigian concluded:
“We deeply appreciate Hungary’s efforts and commitments to Christian communities in Lebanon and the Middle East. Our gratitude to the Hungarian nation—one of the last Christian strongholds in Europe—goes beyond words. It reaffirms our shared Christian faith, values, and principles. Thank you for organizing this essential and crucial conference at this pivotal moment in our history. We look forward to seeing it succeed and produce meaningful results.”