President Michel Aoun met with Prime Minister Najib Mikati at Baabda Palace this morning to discuss the general situation in the country in light of recent developments and Cabinet deliberations on ongoing life and social issues.
President Mikati briefed President Aoun on the objectives of his upcoming visit to Qatar and spoke about the outcomes of President Aoun's visit to the Vatican and the meetings held with Pope Francis, Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin, and Foreign Minister Monsignor Paul Richard Gallagher. He also informed him about the results of the meeting with Italian President Sergio Mattarella.
**Gryo**
President Aoun held diplomatic meetings, starting with an audience with French Ambassador Anne Grillo, where they discussed Lebanon-France relations and ways to develop them across all fields, as well as regional and international developments, particularly the situation in Ukraine and international reactions to it.
They also addressed the French-Gulf initiative to support Lebanon socially and humanely, in addition to the negotiation process between Lebanon and the International Monetary Fund and the importance of approving the financial recovery plan as soon as possible.
**Ferry**
President Aoun welcomed Spanish Ambassador José María Ferry in a farewell visit on the occasion of the end of his diplomatic mission in Lebanon.
President Aoun thanked the Spanish ambassador for his efforts to strengthen Lebanese-Spanish relations and wished him success in his new duties.
**Club of the East for Dialogue of Civilizations**
President Aoun received a delegation from the "Club of the East for Dialogue of Civilizations" led by Foula Tanouri Aboud, thanking the President for the congratulations he extended to the club's honorary president, Bishop John Darwish, on the occasion of the tribute event held in his honor days ago.
Vice President and founding member Eli Sarghani spoke about the club's work and activities in all fields.
A member of the Board of Trustees, lawyer Abdul-Latif Sano, recited a poem highlighting the role President Aoun played in fighting corruption in Lebanon.
Sheikh Professor Moukhlis Al-Jaddah pointed out the importance of President Aoun's efforts in achieving stability and peace in Lebanon.
President Aoun welcomed the delegation, praising the club's activities, especially regarding the enhancement of cultural ties between the Lebanese community and other societies, stressing that "dialogue is the only way to resolve conflicts and promote mutual understanding within a society and between different communities."
He stated, "Based on the importance of dialogue, I proposed the establishment of the 'Academy of Human Encounter and Dialogue' at the United Nations, which was voted on by a majority of 165 votes, in order to achieve peace among peoples."
The President affirmed his commitment to continuing his fight against corruption, despite some parties seeking to obstruct it, which was evident two years ago in his determination to investigate the accounts of the Central Bank of Lebanon.
He mentioned, "Some decisions are delayed in the Cabinet due to a lack of two-thirds approval, yet despite this, we managed to ratify projects for gas and oil extraction, where gas was found, but international pressures prevented work from continuing. Lebanon also succeeded in purging its territories of terrorists and approving the elections law, achieving financial regularity through budget completion, and filling the vacuum in the diplomatic body before the economic crisis worsened."
President Aoun concluded by pointing to the "obstruction being persistently practiced by some and the lack of measures to halt the ongoing financial collapse," citing "the non-approval of capital control up to now, as just one example," affirming that "Lebanon must rise again."
