Author: Web Desk

House Speaker, Nabih Berri, on Friday received a congratulatory cable from Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi marking the Prophet’s Birthday. ‘It gives me great pleasure to send you my best fraternal wishes marking the birth of Prophet Mohammad (…). We celebrate this blessed occasion, drawing inspiration from our Noble Prophet and his sublime message that calls for solidarity and brotherhood and urges us to work hand in hand for the progress and well-being of the peoples of our Arab and Islamic nations (…). I pray that the brotherly Lebanese people will be blessed with progress and prosperity, and that our Arab and Islamic nations will be blessed with more peace.’

Source: National News Agency-Lebanon

September 22, 2023 is a historic day for Chinese-Syrian relations, as President Xi Jinping and President Bashar al-Assad held a friendly meeting in the city of Khanzhou, and jointly announced the establishment of strategic partnership, said the Ambassador of China to Syria, Shi Hongwei, in a newspaper article on Friday.

This partnership would contribute to strategic planning at the highest level for exchanges and cooperation between the two countries in various fields, in addition to strengthening the traditional Chinese-Syrian friendship in an unprecedented way, he added.

China and Syria are two ancient civilized countries, and the exchange between the peoples of the two countries goes back to ancient times, as the ancient Silk Road connects them closely. 67 years ago, Syria was one of the first Arab countries to establish diplomatic relations with China, and opened a new page for Chinese-Syrian friendship. Despite the major changes in international and regional situations, China and Syria continued to exchange support, which made their extraordinary friendship a model for friendly relations between countries with different civilizations , Hongwei went on to say.

He added “China and Syria are still working to strengthen their friendship, and the two countries have loyalty and sincerity. In recent years, the two presidents have maintained close communication, established a deep personal friendship, and pushed the relations to move forward, and the Chinese side firmly supports the Syrian efforts to preserve the country’s independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity, and supports the Syrian people to move on the path of development.

The ambassador pointed out that his country rejects the illegal military presence of foreign powers in Syria, the carrying out of illegal military operations there, and the plundering of its natural resources. It also calls on the concerned countries to immediately lift all unilateral and illegitimate sanctions on Syria.

The Syrian side continues to stand with the Chinese on issues related to Taiwan, Tibet, Hong Kong and the South China Sea, and participates positively in the Global Security Initiative, the Global Development Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative,the ambassador refered.

“The two countries seek development through cooperation and mutual benefit, and China is the second largest source of commercial imports in Syria, and despite the serious impact resulting from the unilateral and illegal sanctions on Syria imposed by the US and Western countries, economic and trade cooperation between the two countries has achieved fruitful results in recent years.”

Since the beginning of the crisis in Syria, China immediately extended a helping hand to it, providing a large amount of aid, including food supplies, buses, vaccines, medical equipment and trained a large number of Syrian cadres in various fields, and after the devastating earthquake that struck the country in last February, the Chinese side provided the stricken areas, from the first moment, with clothes, tents, medicines, food, prefabricated housing units, and other urgent rescue materials, the ambassador said.

Hongwei noted “The two sides appreciate each other in a way that enhances their communication which has never ceased at the popular and cultural levels, and they have taken advantage of their possessing ancient civilizations, to show the beauty of their civilization in a way that deepens the cultural and civilizational exchange and pushes it to continue.

The ambassador pointed out that China has also been working positively to enhance exchanges and bilateral cooperation in the field of education, as every year a large number of Syrian students go to China to study for bachelor’s and master’s degrees.

Hongwei concluded his article by saying: I am confident that under the joint strategic guidance of President Xi and President al-Assad, the deep friendship will continue to write a new chapter in the new historical period, and bilateral relations will continually rise to new levels, thus contributing more to enhancing security and stability.

Source: Syrian Arab News Agency

Caretaker Prime Minister, Najib Mikati, is currently meeting at the Grand Serail, with U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon, Dorothy Shea.

Source: National News Agency-Lebanon

Ambassador Haider Ali Ahmed, Permanent Representative of Syria to the United Nations Office in Geneva,stressed that the allegations of concern regarding the Syrian- humanitarian situation in Syria are incompatible with the continued exploitation of it in the implementation of agendas of pressure and political blackmail which the Committee represents International Commission of Inquiry on Syria is one of its tools.

Geneva, SANA-Ambassador Haider Ali Ahmed, Permanent Representative of Syria to the United Nations Office in Geneva,stressed that the allegations of concern regarding the Syrian- humanitarian situation in Syria are incompatible with the continued exploitation of it in the implementation of agendas of pressure and political blackmail which the Committee represents International Commission of Inquiry on Syria is one of its tools.

Certain hostile countries impose politicized, selective and subjective meetings, mechanisms and reports directed against specific countries, in this case Syria, without this having any real result or relationship with the protection and promotion of human rights during an interactive dialogue with the International Commission of Inquiry on Syria that held a session within the framework of the 54th session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva,the Ambassador said.

Ali Ahmed pointed out that this the aforementioned Commission of Inquiry has been insisting since the beginning of the war in Syria 12 years ago, on continuing with the same biased approach and on its non-objective reading of the situation in Syria, its causes and consequences, for which we once again find ourselves faced with deliberate distortions of the facts.

He explained that this committee has repeatedly engaged in the evaluation of issues outside its mandate, and continues to ignore issues that lie at the heart of human rights and that have a direct causal relationship with the continued deterioration of the humanitarian and living conditions in Syria.

He referred to the effects of the illegal foreign military presence and terrorism, which continues to be supported by the States that sponsor the Committee’s mandate, and the responsibility of the United States for several of its illegal practices against the Syrian people, including the acts of aggression, support for separatist groups and the continuous looting of natural resources and agricultural crops.

Ali Ahmed underlined that Syria is firmly commitment to continue the arrival aid to those who need it in all its regions, and in this framework the UN and its specialized agencies permitted to use the Bab al-Hawa crossing for a period of six months to deliver humanitarian aid to civilians, despite that, terrorist organizations prevented the arrival of this aid for more than two months , the comparison is that Human Rights Counci didn’t criticize in any word nor from the countries that claim to be concerned about the humanitarian situation in Syria.

He called for the withdrawal of occupying US and Turkish military forces from all Syrian territories, reestablishing state authority over them, supporting efforts to facilitate the return of displaced people and refugees to their homes, and lifting unilateral coercive measures immediately and unconditionally.

Source: Syrian Arab News Agency

Deputy Houses Speaker, Elias Bou Saab, on Friday welcomed French Ambassador to Lebanon, Herve Magro, accompanied by First Counselor, Jean-François Guillaume. The meeting reportedly discussed the presidential deadline, Jean-Yves Le Drian’s mission, and the stage it has reached. Several ideas to facilitate the French efforts and make Le Drian’s mission a success were also discussed, with the hope of electing a President of the Republic soon.

Source: National News Agency-Lebanon

The People’s Assembly on Sunday held the 1st session of its 10th regular round of its 3rd legislative term, chaired by Speaker Hammouda Sabbagh and attended by Prime Minister Hussein Arnous and the Ministers.

Opening the session, Sabbagh stressed the importance of collective institutional work on all levels, in order to meet the needs and requirements of the resilient Syrian people, in accordance with the available potentials to modernize laws and legislations that contribute to development of society and its institutions.

The Assembly’s Speaker called upon the executive and legislative authorities to spare no efforts in achieving their duties honestly and in a trustful way based on the directives of President Bashar al-Assad.

Concluding his speech, Sabbagh addressed “greetings, appreciation, and respect” to the Syrian people, and mercy and immortality for the souls of the nation’s martyrs, and a speedy recovery to the wounded and injured.

For his part, Prime Minister Arnous briefed the Assembly on the government activities and the plans that were implemented, stressing that Syria’s complex crises are due to the war against terrorism and its supporters for more than 12 years.

Arnous stressed that the terrorist war has negative impacts on the national economy.

The Premier summarized the procedures that have been adopted by the government to tackle the situation as the government has taken a series of remedial measures, some of which are of phased features, others are of long-term strategy, and all have development dimension.

Source: Syrian Arab News Agency