At the Baabda Palace, President Emil Lahhoud today tackled with a number of visiting local and foreign officials topics related to the financial, economic, and social situation in the country.
President Lahhoud held talks with the head of the Mideast Department at the World Bank, Mohsen Khalil in the presence of Finance Minister George Qorom. The meeting tackled the general financial situation in Lebanon.
The president also received today the director-general of the Social Security Fund Khalil Majed, the director-general of Hydraulics and Electricity Equipment Fadi Qanbar, the head of the Beirut Port Authority Issam Bikdash and Archbishop John Eliyya. He also met former ministers Michel Eddeh and Joseph Al-Hashem.
House Speaker Nabih Berri is expected to head parliament's general session on February 10-11. The meeting will discuss some 48 projects and draft laws. Also on the agenda is the subject of electing the members of the National Media Council.
The speaker reiterated to visitors today his full backing for the current term. He also called on the government to finalize the 1999 state budget project as soon as possible.
Prime Minister Salim Al-Hoss said the media file will be tackled in a detailed report to be presented by Information Minister Anwar Al-Khalil to cabinet, which is then expected to take the final decision on a number of media-related suggestions.
Hoss told visitors at the Grand Saray the file will thus be tackled comprehensively, adding that discussions will be held over more than one session. For his part, Information Minister Anwar Al-Khalil presented to Hoss his work plan and its details. In his report, Al-Khalil included some amendments to laws related to audio-visual transmission.
Prime Minister Salim Al-Hoss today accused Israel of forging truths by holding Lebanon responsible for escalating the situation in the South. Hoss added Israeli occupying troops in South Lebanon and the Western Bekaa should be held responsible for violence there and not the Lebanese government, as Israel claims in its letter to the UN General Secretariat.
Hoss stressed Israel is still maneuvering over the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 425. The premier also reaffirmed the right of the Lebanese Resistance to fight the Israeli occupation and defend Lebanese territories.
In response to statements made by Assistant US Secretary of State Martin Indyk, who said that Israel agreed to the implementation of Resolution 425 without conditions adding it did not receive any response from the Lebanese government, Prime Minister Hoss said our response in very simple: "If Israel had really agreed on implementing Resolution 425 without conditions, then who have been preventing it from withdrawing until now?"
In a statement to UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, Israel's representative at the United Nations Dori Gold criticized the Lebanese government for providing the resistance with full support against Israeli occupying troops.
Israel's UN representative claimed his country is ready to implement UN Security Council Resolution 425. He also claimed that the Lebanese government has never responded to Israeli suggestions and proposals in this regard. Thus, Gold concluded, the Lebanese government should be held responsible for all the consequences.
The situation in occupied Jezzine was today the center of a meeting held between Maronite Patriarch Cardinal Nassrallah Boutros Sfeir and former deputy Edmund Rizk in Bkirki. Rizk later announced his absolute trust in the new president and the new government.
Sfeir later met deputies Shafiq Badr and Nayla Moawwad who voiced support to the statement issued by the latest Maronite Archbishop meeting concerning the necessity of finalizing the parliamentary election law as soon as possible. Moawwad also stressed the importance of the participation of Lebanon's youth in the electoral process and in the country's political life.
Belgian Deputy Prime Minister is expected to arrive in Beirut Sunday for a three-day official visit. The Belgian official who also serves as Minister for Foreign Trade will hold talks with high-ranking officials here. His discussions are expected to focus on bilateral relations and possible ways of boosting cooperation between Lebanon and Belgium.
The Belgian official will also discuss the European role in activating peace in the Mideast region, in addition to latest developments regarding the joint talks on the Euro-Med partnership agreement.
In his capacity as Foreign Minister, Prime Minister Salim Hoss held talks today with the German Ambassador to Lebanon Peter Wittig. Wittig later revealed the German Foreign Minister, who is expected to start a Mideast tour, will arrive in Beirut next Friday.
The German Foreign Minister will be accompanied by Europe's Mideast Envoy Miguel Angel Moratinus and a number of European commissioners. His discussions in Beirut will tackle the EU policy, the situation in the region, the Iraqi crisis, the Mideast peace process and the implementation of UN Resolution 245.
The German Foreign Minister, whose country currently presides over the European Union, will also hold talks with his Lebanese counterpart on the Euro-Med partnership.
Wittig also told reporters at the Grand Saray he updated the premier on the schedule of the German official's visit to the region. His Mideast tour will take him to Israel, Gaza, Beirut, Damascus, Amman and Cairo.
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