Kataeb Party leader Samy Gemayel has been elected vice president of the Centrist Democrat International (CDI), following a vote by the organization’s General Assembly during its meeting in São Paulo, Brazil. 

The assembly also renewed the mandate of former Colombian President Andrés Pastrana as CDI president and re-elected Spain’s Antonio López-Istúriz White as secretary-general.

In a phone call with Gemayel after the vote, both Pastrana and López-Istúriz White praised Lebanon’s role within the alliance and the contribution of the Kataeb Party, expressing confidence in Gemayel’s ability to advance the organization’s work during his new term.

The Kataeb Party was represented at the São Paulo meeting by Marwan Abdallah, head of the party’s Foreign Affairs Department. The gathering was hosted by Brazil’s Social Democratic Party (PSD), led by Gilberto Kassab, who is of Lebanese descent.

The conference brought together 115 political parties from 82 countries, with discussions focusing on global political developments as well as issues related to security, sovereignty and peace across various regions.

During the sessions, the Kataeb delegation underscored Lebanon’s sovereign principles and stressed the country’s importance as a democratic outpost in the Middle East; a message echoed by international participants who emphasized the need for political stability in Lebanon.