Day: May 8, 2023

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

NNA – 14 quakes with a magnitude ranging between 2 and 4.8 magnitudes on the Richter Scale have been recorded over the past 24 hours, the National Earthquake Center said. The center added that the stations of the National Seismic Network recorded a 2 magnitude tremor 15 km to the northwest of Homs central province, and seven other tremors in Liwa Iskenderun, of which the highest magnitude reached up to 4.8, in addition to registering 6 quakes in Turkey. — SANA News Agency

Source: National News Agency – Lebanon

NNA – Foreign Affairs and Emigrants House Committee, headed by MP Fadi Alameh, on Monday received the Chargé d’Affaires of the Republic of Sudan in Lebanon, Sarah Idris. Discussions reportedly touched on the security developments in Sudan and the situation of the Lebanese community in Khartoum and other Sudanese cities. The Foreign Affairs Committee expressed its full solidarity and that of the Lebanese people with the brotherly Sudan to get out of its ordeal and the need for its people to adopt the language of dialogue and convergence in order to restore its stability and move forward in the process of agreement. The committee also thanked the “Arab Republic of Egypt and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for their assistance in evacuating the Lebanese community members from Sudan and their return to Beirut.”

Source: National News Agency – Lebanon

NNA – Caretaker Minister of Culture, Mohammad Wissam Mortada, received, in his office at the Sanayeh palace, Finland’s Ambassador to Lebanon, Anne Meskanen, in the presence of Consul General Zafer Al-Chaoui. Discussions touched on general cultural affairs, in addition to exploring ways of cultural cooperation between the Ministry and the State of Finland. Ambassador Meskanen requested Minister Mortada’s patronage and attendance of a Finnish musical event that will be held next June 14th at Al-Bustan Hotel, which he duly accepted.

Source: National News Agency – Lebanon

The decision to return Syria to its seat in the Arab League is a positive step, said Dr. Anwar Gargash, the diplomatic advisor to the President of the United Arab Emirates.

“Syria’s return to the Arab League is a positive step that reactivates the Arab role in this vital file,” Gargash said in a tweet.

He stressed that the challenges facing the region necessitate strengthening communication and joint action to ensure the interests of Arab countries and their peoples.

He added that the “UAE believes in the necessity of building bridges and maximizing partnerships, in order to ensure regional prosperity and stability.”

Earlier, the foreign ministers of the Arab League member states issued Resolution No. 8914, in which they approved the resumption of Syria’s participation in the meetings of the Arab League’s Council and all its affiliated organizations and agencies, starting from Sunday.

Source: Syrian Arab News Agency

The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has welcomed the decision to resume the participation of Syrian delegations in the meetings of the Arab League Council and all its affiliated organizations and agencies.

“The resumption of Syria’s participation in the work of the Arab League, being one of its founding states, will help improve conditions in the Middle East and quickly overcome the repercussions of the crisis in Syria,” the Ministry’s spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in a statement on her Telegram channel on Sunday.

At the same time, Zakharova expected an increase in Arab countries’ support for Syria in resolving its reconstruction problems.

Earlier on the day, the foreign ministers of the Arab League member states issued Resolution No. 8914, in which they approved the resumption of Syria’s participation in the meetings of the League’s Council and all its affiliated organizations and agencies, starting from Sunday.

Source: Syrian Arab News Agency