President of the Republic, General Michel Aoun, asserted that the “Lebanese are looking forward with much hope to the meeting called by Pope Francis with the Lebanese Christian spiritual leaders on the first of next July in the Vatican, especially since Lebanon is living in difficult circumstances in which it needs the support of brotherly and friendly countries, foremost of which is the Vatican, given the great value it represents in the world and the role that Pope Francis plays on multiple levels”.
The President’s positions came while meeting the Chargé d’Affairs of the Papal Embassy in Lebanon, Monsignor Giuseppe Francone, today at Baabda Palace.
President Aoun handed Francone a written letter to Pope Francis thanking him for his invitation to meet the heads of Lebanese Christian communities in the Vatican on the first of next July.
In the letter, President Aoun also included a presentation of the current Lebanese reality and his vision of the role of Lebanon and the Lebanese in their surroundings and the world.
For his side, Monsignor Francone affirmed that Pope Francis pays special attention to Lebanon, and that the upcoming meeting on July 1 will be an opportunity to affirm the Holy See’s stance towards Lebanon and the Lebanese.
Minister Akar:
President Aoun met Deputy Prime Minister and Acting Minister of Defense and Foreign Affairs, Mrs. Zeina Akar, who briefed him on the difficulties facing transportation between Lebanon and Syria.
Minister Akar also briefed the President on the meeting held at the Ministry of National Defense in the presence of the Ministers of Health, Dr. Hamad Hassan and Finance, Ghazi Wazny. The meeting was devoted to set tables of entitlements belonging to guarantor bodies, including the National Social Security Fund.
The methods to address the issue of drug import were also discussed, in addition to the meeting which will be held next week with the relevant ministers to address this matter after collecting the necessary information and data.
MP Arslan:
The President received the Lebanese Democratic Party Chairman, MP Talal Arslan, accompanied by Minister of Social Affairs Ramzi Musharrafieh and former Minister Saleh Al-Gharib.
The meeting tackled current political and governmental developments.
Statement:
After the meeting, MP Arslan made the following statement to journalists:
“It is essential to visit His Excellency President General Michel Aoun, especially in the difficult living, social, economic and financial conditions that the country is going through, and from which the Lebanese people in all categories, cities and villages suffer in a minimum standard of decent living, and in approaching living, health, educational and humanitarian matters for all people. All that in addition to the issue of diesel and gasoline and the queues of cars at gas stations, and the absolute and rapid need to resolve this crisis as soon as possible.
His Excellency the President yesterday took serious measures with the Prime Minister to resolve this crisis between today and tomorrow, and he put us in an atmosphere which indicated that things are heading to a resolution.
We also discussed the issue of the General Security Officer, Daoud Fayyad, who is still unjustly detained in connection with the explosion of the Port of Beirut, and he is an officer, according to the testimony of his chief, Major General Abbas Ibrahim, who has performed all his professional duties, and Fayyad is still detained to this day.
His Excellency the President put us in the atmosphere of injustice to which he is subjected, and he promised to clarify this matter, so that we all know the truth of what happened in the port of Beirut, and know the truth who is responsible for this human crime. The crime of the age which ravaged Lebanon and led to a national disaster and a major impact on Lebanon directly, as well as all Lebanese families”.
Questions & Answers:
Asked about the atmosphere of the Khaldeh meeting tomorrow, Arslan replied:
“We briefed His Excellency on the meeting that will be held tomorrow in Khalde at 6:00pm, and we are all welcome, open and supportive of dialogue between all Lebanese groups, and within the Druze community.
There are numerous issues, problems, differences and discrepancies in the internal Druze community which must be addressed in an open and positive spirit.
In addition, we informed the President that we are welcome, open and serious about reaching radical solutions, especially since the Jabal region suffers, as are all the Lebanese regions and categories of the Lebanese people, from real living crises and economic-financial crises that should also be among the priorities of the proposals tomorrow in Khalde, so that we all work to find solutions, bringing a decent living fir people and supporting the citizens of the mountain in this context.
His Excellency was encouraging, understanding and supportive of any meeting which takes place to unite the views of the Lebanese in general, and us together, in particular”.
Source: Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA)