Caretaker Minister of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants, Dr. Abdallah Bou Habib, on Tuesday welcomed a delegation from the American Task Force for Lebanon (ATFL), headed by former Ambassador Edward M. Gabriel. Speaking in the wake of the meeting, Caretaker Minister Bou Habib said that “the delegation’s visit to Lebanon aims to encourage the Lebanese and officials to elect a president for the republic, form a government, and endorse the agreement with the International Monetary Fund, so that Lebanon can return to its previous state.” Bou Habib added, “We also discussed issues related to the presidential election, government formation, and the IMF, as well as the Syrian displacement file, because they are a strong support to us in this file.” Ambassador Gabriel, in turn, described the meeting with Minister Bou Habib as “very good”, saying: ‘We had very solid talks about the importance of converging efforts for the benefit of this country, securing the needs of the people, putting aside differences and moving towards electing a president for the republic. This requires a settlement between all parties and finding a candidate who serves the interest of Lebanon. The situation also requires that state institutions and parliament put in place appropriate reforms.’ He concluded: “We also talked about the importance of developing the public sector in parallel with the education sector, so that they can carry out their tasks to the fullest.” On the other hand, Caretaker Minister Bou Habib received the First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic, Jirí Kozák, with whom he discussed the bilateral relations and regional developments. Bou Habib thanked the Czech Republic for its assistance to Lebanon, especially the Czech aid to the Rafic Hariri University Hospital. Discussions also touched on the displaced Syrians’ issue.
Source: National News Agency-Lebnon