Caretaker Prime Minister, Najib Mikati, on Monday received an invitation from the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz, to participate in the 32nd regular session of the Arab League Council’s meeting at the summit level, which will be held in Jeddah – Saudi Arabia on May 19. Mikati welcomed at the Grand Serail the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Walid Bukhari, who handed him the invitation. During the meeting, the pair discussed the current situation in Lebanon and the region, as well as Lebanese-Saudi bilateral relations. The Prime Minister later received United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Lebanon, Imran Riza. The meeting took stock of the Syrian refugee file in Lebanon. For his part, Riza congratulated Lebanon for having a unified position regarding the Syrian refugee presence in Lebanon. He also thanked the Lebanese state for its “efforts, understanding, and for handling of the matter in a professional manner.” Discussions also touched on the Brussels conference, which will be held in mid-June and will be devoted to discuss Syrian refugee affairs. Mikati separately welcomed the Ambassador of the European Union to Lebanon, Ralph Tarraf. The Premiere later welcomed Caretaker Telecoms Minister, Johnny Corm, who said after the meeting: “We’ve discussed with the Prime Minister an array of affairs involving the telecoms ministry. We’ve also briefed the premiere on the real danger that the telecommunications sector is currently in, especially at the absence of resources to run its affairs.” ‘We will consult with the Minister of Finance regarding the measures that can be taken to solve this problem; since the beginning of the year, with the exception of salaries, no funds have been transferred to the Ministry for maintenance,’ Corm added.
Source: National News Agency – Lebanon
