The Russian Secretary of State Mr. Yevgeny Primakov will arrive in Beirut at 15:00 this afternoon.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs kept up yesterday with the arrangements of this visit. The general secretary of this Ministry, Mr. Zafer El-Hasan met with the Russian ambassador in Beirut, Mr. Olig Brisbakeni, who said that Minister Yevgeny Primakov was carrying suggestions for peace in the region.
At 18:00 this afternoon, Primakov will be received by the President of the Republic, Mr. Elias Al-Hrawi, and then at 19:00, the Prime Minister Mr. Rafiq Al-Hariri.
The Maronite Patriarch, Cardinal Nasrallah Boutros Sfeir, received yesterday a delegation of the non authorized audio-visual media. Sfeir asked these companies to say the truth on their own broadcasts and nothing but the truth. Pointing that the media freedom in Lebanon is a pillar within the Lebanese values, Sfeir added that people must be aware of the reality in order to deal with it correctly.
Sfeir also received a delegation of the European Union Socialist youth in visit to Lebanon.
A banquet was given, on the honour of Minister Abd Errahim Mourad, in Al-Qaryeh High Matn. After starting with the national anthem , a speech was delivered by Mr. Zaher El-Aawar, then a poem by Mr. Fawzi Abd El-Khaleq and the residents word by Mr. Farouq Tarabay.
Then Minister Mourad delivered a speech in which he pointed that each Minister in the next cabinet should represent the whole country, adding that the first priority of the new Council of Ministers should deal with the economic crisis, as well as administrative corruption. Mourad noted that people are asking, first and foremost, for complimentary hospitalization, besides enforcing public schools.
A plan to accelerate the reconstruction and development process would be very appreciated too, and he hoped the Arab countries would have a serious plan against Israel, instead of concluding secret and public agreements with this regime.
The Minister of Defense, Mr. Mohsen Dalloul, pointed during an interview with the Egyptian-Middle East News Agency, that Israel is preparing for war after rejecting the peace process and all efforts made to achieve it.
This is proved by the Israeli military forces movements in north Israel. Dalloul, however, reaffirmed that the Lebanese army is ready to respond to any new Israeli aggression . He noted that Europe wouldn't have a role in the region without Lebanon.
Before leaving Lebanon, the charge d'affaires of the European Union, Mr. Harold Cool, visited yesterday the President of the Parliament, Mr. Nabih Berreh, and then the Secretary of State, Mr. Fares Bweiz, who, on behalf of the President of the Republic, granted Mr. Cool the national Order of Cedars.
During a ceremony prepared for this occasion, Minister Bweiz said that during Mr. Cool's work period in Lebanon, relations between the small country and the European Union were tightened. Cool, on the other hand, thanked the President of the Republic and the Secretary of State for the Order.
The Minister of Environment, Mr. Pierre Faraoun, held yesterday a press conference, in which he highlighted the role the Ministry of Environment has played.
Faraoun showed the paper his Ministry gave to Mr. Robert Khoury, a plastic recycling plant owner, allowing him to import plastic waste, according to international standards. These waste were however to be checked and analysed by experts. On September 19th 1996, these experts submitted to the general director of the Ministry of Environment a document certifying the waste were polluted and did not fit for recycling. This general secretary nevertheless did not inform of the matter, neither Minister Faraoun himself nor the office of the attorney general or the customs, until October 21st 1996.
Faraoun announced measures to prevent any other importing of contaminated waste.
On the other hand, investigations made by judge Adnan Adoumi continued yesterday and he questioned the charge d'affaires of the general secretary of the Ministry of Environment, Dalal Barakat, the head of the Prevention Department, Mr. Hanna Abou Habib, besides the secretary of the Minister, Claude Khoury, Mr. Antoine Aoun and Mr Robert Khoury.
Adoum also met with the representative of Green Peace, Fouad Hamdan, who declared discussions were now going on with the German government to send back the contaminated waste. Adoum was expected to make a phone call with the Lebanese Secretary of State, through whom contacts would be made with the German authorities in the aim of reexporting these waste.
Today starts the fifth period of the Lebanese football championship . Three games would be held at 14:45 as follows :
1-Al-Ansar v/s Achabiba El-Mazraa (at Bourj Hammoud local stadium) .
2-Arryada Waladab v/s Attadamoun-tyre (at Tripoli local stadium) .
3-Al-Bourj v/s Racing (at Assafa stadium) .
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