BEIRUT: Hezbollah said Thursday that the European Union decision to blacklist the party’s military wing would have repercussions, adding that Europe cannot reasonably expect to engage in dialogue with the party after condemning it.

 

“Certainly ... the decision will have repercussions; it will not pass by easily. I won’t predict [what these repercussions will be], this has to do with our leadership,” said Ammar Musawi, Hezbollah’s official in charge of international relations.

 

“No one can condemn me and extend a hand to me simultaneously,” Musawi added, after a meeting with EU Ambassador Angelina Eichhorst at his office in the southern suburbs of Beirut.

 

Asked whether the decision would affect Hezbollah’s relations with the U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon, Musawi said: “I do not want to jump the gun, but I already said: You cannot condemn me and extend a hand to me at the same time.”

 

The EU’s 28 member states decided unanimously Monday to blacklist Hezbollah’s military wing, after Bulgaria accused the Lebanese resistance group of involvement in a 2012 Burgas bombing that killed five Israeli tourists and a Bulgarian driver.

 

In line with the decision, the Council of the European Union announced Thursday that Hezbollah’s military wing had been added to “the EU’s list of entities, groups and persons involved in terrorist acts.”

 

The council said in a joint statement with the European Commission that the decision would not prevent the EU from engaging in dialogue with Lebanese political parties, including Hezbollah.

 

“In addition, the Council and the Commission agreed that the decision does not affect legitimate financial transfers made to Lebanon and the delivery of assistance, including humanitarian assistance, from the European Union and its member states in Lebanon,” the statement added. The decision will be published in the EU official journal Friday and will be reviewed every six months.

 

But Musawi stressed that no separate military wing of Hezbollah existed. “Hezbollah is one body, with one command; military personnel [in Hezbollah] are politicians and politicians are military personnel,” he said.

 

Musawi said he informed Eichhorst of his party’s opposition to the move, saying it reflected Europe’s yielding to the will of Israel and the United States. He also reportedly told Eichhorst the move was an insult to Hezbollah.

 

For her part, Eichhorst said she informed Musawi about the motivations behind the decision.

 

“We discussed the impact of the decision. First and foremost, the reason behind the decision ... is as you all know the attack on European soil, which took place last year in Bulgaria,” she said. “The European Union condemns any attacks on its soil and the [EU] foreign ministers have taken a decision to give a political message to the military wing of Hezbollah.”

 

Bulgaria released pictures Thursday of two suspected collaborators who aided the bomber who blew up the bus packed with the Israeli tourists last year, identifying them as 32-year-old Australian Maliad Farah, also known as Hussein Hussein– a bearded man with dark hair, thick black eyebrows and brown eyes – and 25-year-old Canadian Hassan El Hajj Hassan– a man of lighter complexion, with a closely shaved head and a goatee. Hezbollah denies any involvement in the attack.

 

Eichhorst said the decision would not prevent the EU from continuing to cooperate with Lebanon and its political parties.

 

“It will not affect the European Union assistance to Lebanon which we will continue to give to the country. Lebanon is a strong partner for the European Union, for all the member states and we hold to this partnership,” she said.

 

Eichhorst said the decision was not “a justification for an action of any country including Israel in Lebanon.”

 

Musawi said the EU decision was part of an attempts to put political pressure on Hezbollah and would come to no avail.

 

He also said that the head of Bulgaria’s intelligence indicated that Hezbollah was not involved in Bulgaria’s attack two weeks ago.

 

“But few days ago, when the last round of discussions over blacklisting Hezbollah began, Bulgarian Interior Minister [Tsvetlin Yovchev] said his country had important findings [implicating Hezbollah],” he said.

 

Eichhorst’s talks with Musawi were part of a string of visits she paid to Lebanese officials Thursday to explain the motivation behind the EU move.

 

Eichhorst visited Kataeb leader Amin Gemayel, Hezbollah’s caretaker Minister of State for Administrative Development Mohammad Fneish and Prime Minister-designate Tammam Salam.

 

Following talks with Fneish, Eichhorst said the EU’s financial and economic assistance to Lebanon would continue. She said the EU would continue to support the Administrative Development office as well.

 

Separately, U.N. Special Coordinator for Lebanon Derek Plumbly ruled out the possibility that the EU decision would have any impact on UNIFIL.

 

“The United Nations is the United Nations. The United Nations is made up of all states and UNIFIL includes troops from over 30 states. I believe everyone in Lebanon and in the region is benefiting from the security and stability that derives from the presence of UNIFIL troops in the south,” Plumbly told reporters after visiting Gemayel.

 

Marc Otte, the Belgian Foreign Ministry’s Special Envoy for Syrian Affairs, said after meeting caretaker Foreign Minister Adnan Mansour that any decisions Europe makes to protect its people against terrorism would not interfere with its political ties, including those with Hezbollah.

 

Sheikh Abdel-Amir Qabalan, the deputy head of the Higher Shiite Council, said the resistance was not a terrorist organization, but was working to prevent strife.

 

“Those accusing us of terrorism should stop challenging us, they have to deal with us politely and engage in dialogue with us,” Qabalan said.