Minister of Foreign Affairs, Jibran Bassil, said at a press conference yesterday that the State has failed its citizens, its industry and agriculture, as well as the unique made-in-Lebanon products, noting that his ministry has administered examinations for some 20 economic attaches to market Lebanese wine in 20 different countries. Bassil also announced the details of the Lebanese Wine Day 2018 projected to take place in the Swiss cities of Zurich and Geneva from June 11 to 14, with the participation of 34 Lebanese producers. “We are happy to be present in Geneva and Zurich, but we aim big at the larger markets of Russia, China, India and the Koreas, and we can reach them for they boast immense prospects for selling the Lebanese wine,” Bassil maintained. Meanwhile, the foreign ministry held an Iftar banquet yesterday during which Bassil launched the Lebanon Gastrodiplomacy program attended by 250 guests, including politicians, diplomats and heads of industrial and trade chambers, with the participation of 22 eateries. The initiative, to note, is the joint outcome of the ministries of economy, industry, agriculture, culture and tourism in collaboration with the Lebanese Industrialists Association (LIA) and the owners of restaurants. It is part of the foreign ministry’s policy aimed to promote made-in-Lebanese goods and its authentic cuisine as an essential component of the country’s heritage and culture, said Rasha Hadad from the ministry. Work is underway, Haddad said, to form the National Commission for Lebanon Gastrodiplomacy which is expected to lay down food benchmarks in partnership with Lebanese chefs, Hadad added. (An Nahar, Al Akhbar, Al Mustaqbal, Al Diyar, June 1, 2018)