NNA - On Sunday 9 November, the British Embassy in Beirut held a service at Beirut Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery to commemorate Remembrance Day. This annual event, which marks the end of the First World War on 11 November 1918, honours the sacrifice of the Armed Forces community from the UK and the Commonwealth and remembers innocent civilians around the world who have lost their lives in conflict and acts of terrorism.

The British Ambassador, Hamish Cowell, was joined in giving a reading by the Australian Ambassador Andrew Barnes, the German Ambassador Kurt Georg Stockl-Stillfried, the US Charge D'Affaires Keith Hanigan, and the French charge D'Affaires Bruno Pereira Da Silva.

Ambassadors, Defence Attachés, and official representatives from the Lebanese Armed Forces laid wreaths. A two-minute silence was held at the end of the service to mark the end of World War One.

The service was conducted by Father Tony Karam, Priest at St George Parish in Hadath. Also in attendance was the British Defence Attaché, Lt. Col. Charles Smith, and representatives of the Lebanese Army Commander General Rodolph Haykal, the Head of the Internal Security Forces General Raed Abdallah, and the Director General of the General Security, Brigadier Hasan Shukeir. Ambassadors, diplomats and military attachés of US, European and Commonwealth countries were also present.

The Beirut War Cemetery is the final resting place of around 1,200 soldiers, most of whom were from the UK, Australia, New Zealand, India and South Africa. The war graves are supervised by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. -- UK Embassy in Lebanon