|
|
Saifi
Village
The completion of building 120-10 (with
the exception of the first floor) will allow a timely delivery to its occupants.
The other three buildings are to follow during the next quarter.
The last touches are being put on street furniture and the pedestrian streets
paved with cobblestone. The landscaping, to be finalized in the next few
months, will further enhance the neighborhood's character. |
|
|
|
Visitors
Beirut city center welcomed in the last quarter Luciano Benetton, president
of the multinational clothing company; German investor Manfred Schmitt, president
of Spark 1st Vision; Jim Robertson, head of investment at Edinburg Fund Managers;
representatives from Alpina Swiss company; others from Paribas-BNPI; as well
as a number of business and professional personalities and
delegations.
Official visitors included five members of the German Bundestag; Jean-Francois
Clair, from the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs; members of the Australian
Foreign Affairs ministry; Miguel Marinas-Depasse, economic advisor at the
Madrid Chamber of Commerce and Industry; an Italian economic delegation;
60 lawyers from the Federation des Barreaux in the European Community; 15
members of German industry; and a delegation from Ile de France
From the academic world came US writer Ishmael Reed; and representatives
of the French Ecole Nationale d' Administration and Ecole Supérieure
des Affaires in France.
From the media world came members of the Figaro magazine; a group of seven
other French journalists; an eleven-member press group from the Far East;
seven journalists from Germany; an Italian TV team from Viaggi, Germany;
and a production team from British Tv.
Conferences, books, exhibitions
UN representative offices in Beirut celebrated the United Nations' 55th
anniversary in October. Yves de San, Resident Coordinator in Lebanon, read
a statement from Secretary-General Kofi Annan to a gathering of staff and
officials.
Nine UN Economic and Social Commision for West Asia (ESCWA) conferences were
held during the quarter.
A two-day seminar discussed the cultural and heritage importance of the old
Silk Road that extended from China to the Eastern Mediterranean. It was the
third in a series of conferences organized by the Beirut Heritage Association
with the collaboration of UNESCO, the Paris-based Institut du Monde Arabe,
and the Education Ministry.
Two new publications provide interesting reference material on the city center
with beautiful texts and illustrations. 'The Grand Serail - a history of
civilization, art, architecture and determination' is published and distributed
by the Hariri Foundation. The Martyrs' Square heritage is highlighted in
'el Bourj - place de la liberte et porte du levant', published by Dar
Annahar.
At the British Museum in London, a lecture was given by Dominic Perring on
October 14, on the works of the British-Lebanese archeological mission in
the Souks of Beirut.
The preserved icon collection of the St. George Greek-Orthodox cathedral
was on display in October, at the Sursock Museum in Beirut. |
|
|