Category: Government Policy

Prime Minister Najib Mikati pursued on Saturday his meetings in Dubai on the sidelines of his participation in the “COP2” Conference, where he conferred with French President Emmanuel Macron on the situation in Gaza and southern Lebanon.

Talks also touched on the outcome of the visit by President Macron’s envoy to Lebanon, Jean-Yves Le Drian, and the deliberations he held with Lebanese officials and leaders.

The Prime Minister later held talks with Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar, renewing Lebanon’s appreciation for Ireland’s effective and valuable contribution to the UNIFIL peacekeeping forces in the South, hailing “the sacrifices that UNIFIL is making to maintain peace in south Lebanon, ensuring stability for the people of the southern region and for Lebanon as a whole.’

PM Mikati met as well with his Italian counterpart, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, with whom he discussed Lebanese-Italian bilateral relations.

He later held a meeting with Scottish Prime Minister Hamza Yusuf, praising his position r
egarding the Israeli attacks on Gaza and southern Lebanon.

“The issue of Palestine does not concern the Arabs only, but rather it is an international humanitarian issue in the first place and requires a just and comprehensive solution that preserves the rights of the Palestinians,” Mikati underlined.

Source: National News Agency – Lebanon

Caretaker Minister of Information, Ziad Al-Makary, sponsored the launch of the media platform (PRAVDA TV) during a ceremony held at the Russian House in Verdun, in the presence of the Caretaker Minister of Displaced, Issam Charafeddine, the Russian Ambassador to Lebanon, Alexander Rudakov, and a number of political, academic and media figures.

Speaking during the ceremony, the Minister regretted how some Lebanese parties wanted to move towards Resolution 1701, but had not seen any Israeli violation of this resolution since 2006, saying: ‘We always ask the Lebanese media to speak the truth because we do not have the ability to build the media, nor a media future, nor a future among the peoples without the clear truth.”

In this context, the Minister asked “Pravda TV” to always convey the truth, which is the basis of everything, stressing that Lebanon has freedoms and that the Ministry is committed to protecting these freedoms at all costs.

Source: National News Agency – Lebanon

Caretaker Prime Minister, Najib Mikati, on Friday partook in the opening ceremony of the ‘Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP 28),’ which officially commenced today in the UAE, Dubai.

Premier Mikati is leading Lebanon’s delegation to the Conference, which includes Minister of Environment Nasser Yassin, Minister of Energy Walid Fayad, Lebanon’s Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates Fouad Dandan, and the Prime Minister’s advisor, former Minister, Nicolas Nahas.

Mikati held a series of meetings on the sidelines of his participation in the Conference, with a number of heads of participating Arab and foreign delegations.

In this context, Mikati met with the Emir of the State of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, during which they discussed the bilateral relations between the two brotherly countries and ways to develop them. Both also exchanged views on the most prominent topics on the summit’s agenda.

Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Shei
kh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani participated in the meeting.

The Prime Minister later held a meeting with the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, with talks reportedly touching on the Israeli aggression against Gaza and the situation in Lebanon.

Talks also touched on the importance of commitment to implementing UN Resolution 1701 and its clauses and stopping the Israeli aggression against southern Lebanon.

Mikati also had audience with UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron, with whom he discussed the Lebanese-British relations and the situation in the region.

The Prime Minister also met respectively with the President of Cyprus, Nikos Christodoulides, and the Prime Minister of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, and the Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund Kristalina Georgieva.

Source: National News Agency-Lebanon

House Speaker, Nabih Berri, on Friday met, at the Second Presidency in Ain-el-Tineh, with ‘Loyalty to the Resistance’ bloc MP Hassan Fadlallah.

Discussions reportedly touched on the current general situation, political developments, and field developments in the border region, in addition to legislative affairs.

MP Fadlallah stressed that the supreme national interest in Lebanon requires working in every way to prevent the enemy from achieving its goals.

Speaker Berri also followed up on political developments, the current situation, and legislative affairs, during his meeting with ‘Democratic Gathering’ MP Akram Chehayeb.

Among Ain el-Tineh’s itinerant visitors for today had been Chief of the Judicial Police, Brigadier General Ziad Qaid Bey.

On the other hand, Berri received a congratulatory tcable on the occasion of Lebanon’s Independence Day, from his Tunisian counterpart, Ibrahim Bou Derbala.

Source: National News Agency-Lebanon

Caretaker Minister of Public Works and Transportation, Ali Hamieh, on Friday pursued his meetings in Britain, on the sidelines of his participation in the work of the General Assembly of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) held in London.

In this context, Minister Hamieh, leading a delegation from the Ministry, met with the Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization, Kitack Lim, in the presence of Lebanon’s Ambassador to Britain, Rami Mortada, and a delegation from the Organization.

Discussions reportedly touched on the prospects for cooperation between Lebanon and the IMO.

Hamieh stressed during the meeting that ‘Lebanon will remain keen to open new horizons for cooperation with the Organization, especially with regard to maritime safety and environmental factors.” The Minister pointed out that ‘adherence to the standards set by the Organization is a constant matter for Lebanon, as this further strengthens the maritime community’s confidence in it, especially in the ports and
maritime transport sectors alike.’

Source: National News Agency-Lebanon

Caretaker Minister of Information, Ziad Makary, received, at his ministry office on Friday, the Turkish Ambassador to Lebanon, Ali Baris Ulusoy, accompanied by the Turkish Cultural Center Coordinator, Esraa Yalmaz, and her assistant, Mahasen Khattab.

Discussions reportedly touched on the bilateral relations between the two countries and ways of cooperation at the media and cultural levels.

Source: National News Agency-Lebanon

Andrea Tenenti, the spokesperson for UNIFIL, on Friday spoke to ‘Voice of All Lebanon’ radio station regarding the growing discussions about the necessity of amending UN Security Council Resolution 1701 and establishing a buffer zone.

“The Security Council is the entity that issued the resolution, hence any discussions regarding its future cannot commence except through the Security Council and its member states,’ said Tenenti, emphasizing that “the pillars of Resolution 1701 remain valid.

He further stressed that “the priority remains in preventing escalation, protecting civilian lives, and ensuring the security of peacekeepers.”

Responding to a question about the possibility of an imminent tripartite meeting in Naqoura, he said, “So far, there are no indications of upcoming meetings. However, UNIFIL, led by General Stefano Del Col, actively engages in efforts to reduce tensions, avoiding the risk of broader conflict. All these efforts have been carried out through bilateral communication with the partie
s, without convening a trilateral meeting.”

Source: National News Agency-Lebanon

Caretaker Minister of Public Health, Firas Al-Abiad, is participating in the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) held in the United Arab Emirates from November 30th to December 12th. This annual conference brings together world leaders to address the severe human intervention in the climate system.

The significance of Minister Al-Abiad’s participation in this conference lies in its unique focus on health, marking it as the first COP that explicitly centers on health-related discussions.

Through his participation, Minister Al-Abiad emphasizes “the urgent need for Lebanon to prioritize health-related risks in the climate change conference.”

Recognizing the undeniable impact of environmental factors on human health, Al-Abiad’s office stated that he will call for “proactive measures and collaborative strategies to mitigate these effects.”

Moreover, Al-Abiad will stress “key initiatives aiming to safeguard public health amidst environmental transformations,” affirming “the urgent necessity to tak
e measures to develop and adapt healthcare systems in response to the climate change crisis.”

Furthermore, the Minister will engage in high-level dialogues to enhance cooperation with local and global ministers and leaders, reaffirming Lebanon’s dedication to the global battle against climate change, particularly on matters linked to public health.

Earlier this year, Lebanon’s Ministry of Public Health formally supported measures associated with the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) through an official message dated March 26, 2023.

As part of this initiative, Lebanon pledged to prioritize the health needs of its population, considering environmental and sustainability challenges faced by healthcare facilities.

The statement concluded by affirming the Ministry’s steadfast commitment to integrating climate adaptation into public health policies and aligning efforts with international policies to protect citizens and future generations.

Source: National News Agency-Lebanon

Two persons have been reported dead and 4 injured in 5 road accidents within the last 24 hours, the Traffic Management Center said on Friday.

Source: National News Agency-Lebanon

An-Nahar:

Le Drian, Bassil debate: Growing concern about army

Nidaa Al-Watan:

Truce shaken in south Lebanon

Renewed US concern about expansion of conflict

Al-Joumhouria:

Le Drian’s visit: Its cover is Gaza, its title is presidential, and its essence is extension

Al-Akhbar:

The story of the ‘heated meeting’ with Gebran Bassil

Source: National News Agency-Lebanon