The President asserted the necessity of
electing a new President of the Republic and forming a full-fledged government
that has Parliament confidence before the end of the presidential term.
President Aoun: “The harshest thing Lebanon
has faced is emptying the financial funds and the state treasury of money, and
some of that took place in ambiguous circumstances, which we are working to
check”.
Mussolier conveyed President Macron’s
affirmation of support for Lebanon and the Lebanese and his work to achieve all
that is good.
The President followed up on the details of
the sinking of the Lebanese boat off Arwad and asked competent authorities to provide
all facilities to the families of the victims and survivors.
President Aoun sent a congratulatory
telegram on the Saudi National Day, to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques.
President of the Republic, General Michel Aoun, expressed
his satisfaction with the tripartite statement issued yesterday by France, the
United States of America and Saudi Arabia regarding the situation in Lebanon.
President Aoun asserted the need to elect a new
President of the Republic within the constitutional deadline and to form a new
government that will gain the confidence of the Parliament before the presidential
term ends next October 31.
The President also reiterated the necessity of
implementing the reforms agreed upon with the International Monetary Fund, and
removing all obstacles that prevent this issue.
The President’s positions came while meeting the head
of the region of southern France, Provence, the Alpes and the Côte d’Azur, and
former Minister Renaud Muselier at the head of a delegation from the region, in
the presence of the French Ambassador to Lebanon, Mrs. Anne Grillo, and the
head of the Lebanese-French Parliamentary Friendship Committee, MP Simon Abi
Ramia.
The delegation included Messrs. Jean-Pierre Colin,
Frédéric Lofaro, Sébastien Viano, Bernard Valero and a number of administrative
officials in the region.
At the beginning, Mr. Mussolier expressed his
happiness at his presence in Lebanon, describing his visit and the accompanying
delegation as “A visit of brotherhood and solidarity” to emphasize the strong
relations between the two countries and peoples that have taken root more
throughout history.
Mussolier also conveyed to President Aoun the
greetings of French President Emmanuel Macron and his affirmation of his
support for Lebanon and the Lebanese and his work to achieve all that is good
for “This dear country to the hearts of the French”.
Then, Mr. Mussolier presented the role played by the
region of southern France, Provence, the Alpes and the Cote d’Azur, in helping
Lebanon and contributing to the development of economic life in it.
Afterwards, a dialogue took place between President
Aoun and members of the delegation.
The President had discussed the difficult conditions
that Lebanon went through during the past six years of his reign, and the
repercussions it left, including the Syrian war, the closure of the borders and
the influx of large waves of displaced Syrians, leading to the events of
October 17, 2019, the outbreak of the “Corona” pandemic, then the explosion of
the port of Beirut, and the severe economic and financial crisis that the
country is going through, which made the poverty rate rise to 75% of the
Lebanese people.
“Perhaps the most difficult thing that Lebanon faced
was emptying the financial funds and the state treasury of money, and some of
that took place in ambiguous circumstances. We worked to assign an
international company to audit it and we are waiting for the results of this
audit” President Aoun said.
On the other hand, President Aoun addressed the
government crisis that the country is going through, pointing out that he is
working to remove the political obstacles placed before the formation of the
government.
Moreover, the President emphasized the importance of
having a full-fledged government that has the confidence of the Parliament to
be able to assume the responsibility of exercising the powers of the President
of the Republic in the event that the president is not elected, pointing to the
need to preserve the national balance in all the expected constitutional deadlines.
In response to a question, the President renewed
Lebanon’s commitment to implement what was agreed upon with the International
Monetary Fund, noting that the budget law for the year 2022 is awaiting
approval in the Parliament, to which the law amending the banking secrecy law
was returned to become more in line with international standards.
On the indirect negotiations to demarcate the southern
maritime borders, President Aoun stated that progress has been made in this
field, expressing his hope to reach an agreement that would enable Lebanon to
invest its oil and gas wealth and its positive impact on the Lebanese economy.
Boat Sinking in Arwad:
President Aoun followed up on the details he received
about the sinking of the Lebanese boat off Arwad Island, which was carrying a
number of people, both Lebanese and non-Lebanese.
President Aoun was briefed on the latest data on the
rescue operations and the provision of treatment to the survivors in Tartous,
and the retrieval of a number of victims’ bodies.
President Aoun asked the competent authorities to
provide all facilities to the families of the victims and survivors as a result
of this tragic accident.
Congratulations to the Custodian of the Two Holy
Mosques:
The President sent a congratulatory cable to the
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, on Saudi
National Day.
President Aoun wished on his behalf and on behalf of
the Lebanese people that “The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, under your wise
leadership, enjoys glory, development and blessings”.
President Aoun also affirmed his aspiration to develop
cooperation between the two countries in all fields, “In order to achieve the
interests of our two brotherly peoples within the framework of weaving the best
brotherly relations”.