'Caritas' decision to halt international aid was unilateral'

In an interview with our colleagues from RTL Radio on Wednesday, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Development Cooperation Xavier Bettel responded to criticism regarding the Caritas scandal while also expressing deep concern over the worsening situation in the Middle East.

In response to criticism over his absence from Monday's parliamentary committee meeting on the Caritas case, Bettel explained that he was abroad at the time. He noted, however, that he had appeared in the Chamber of Deputies just two weeks earlier, when there had been no new developments in the case.

Bettel described the current level of debate surrounding the Caritas situation as "shameful", emphasising the gravity of the issue. He expressed regret over Caritas' decision to halt its international activities, suggesting the organisation could have considered alternative solutions, such as selling real estate, as many individuals bequeath properties to Caritas. Bettel firmly rejected claims that the government had abandoned the charity.

Read also: Caritas: 100 employees lose jobs in Luxembourg, South Sudan, and Laos 

The foreign minister further explained that over the past two months, his ministry has been closely reviewing where funds were allocated and where they may be missing. He confirmed that a total of €5.2 million had been transferred, with more than half of that amount now unaccounted for. Bettel reiterated that reallocating money from other organisations to cover the missing funds was not an option.

Despite the financial issues, Bettel said that most of the 28 projects run in partnership with Caritas would continue, although five are likely to be terminated.

Middle East: "Every provocation adds fuel to the fire"

In Lebanon, a series of pager explosions on Tuesday left 12 people dead and about 3,000 injured, with Hezbollah accusing Israel of orchestrating the attack. Foreign Minister Xavier Bettel stated that the circumstances of the incident and responsibility for it are still unclear, as no confirmed information has been received. However, Bettel condemned the ongoing provocations, noting that "every provocation adds fuel to the fire."

Expressing deep concern over the deteriorating situation in the Middle East, Bettel remarked that the conflict shows no signs of de-escalation. He reiterated Luxembourg's stance that a two-state solution remains the only viable path to peace.

Bettel also voiced concern about the growing animosity towards Israel among Palestinians, while simultaneously criticising the actions of the Israeli government under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He suggested that Netanyahu appears more focused on preserving his political career than on safeguarding human lives.