The caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati expressed regret over the ostentatious manner in which sensitive judicial files related to the country's monetary stability were handled, which exposes the country to serious repercussions. He stated, "Raiding the central bank in this flashy manner, amidst the overlap of powers among judicial authorities, is not the appropriate solution for addressing the case of the Governor of the Central Bank, Riad Salameh. I have said and I repeat that we are not attached to anyone, nor do we defend anyone; rather, we are committed to fair justice devoid of selectivity, while being cautious about Lebanon's financial reputation internationally. What is required is to tackle this file with prior political consensus on a new governor for the central bank, and then let the case take its proper legal course."
Prime Minister Mikati met today at the Grand Serail with the commander of the international forces operating in the south (UNIFIL), General Aroldo Lazaro, who headed a delegation that included UNIFIL Deputy Head of Mission Jacques Cristofides, Political Officer Sabrina Pefivner, Captain Fernando Fortun, Captain Brian Lane, Mr. Alberto Cordella, and Mr. Abbas Awala. The diplomatic advisor to Mikati, Ambassador Boutros Asaker, also participated in the meeting. During the meeting, Mikati reiterated Lebanon's commitment to implementing international resolutions and its adherence to the role and tasks of UNIFIL operating in the south. For his part, the commander of UNIFIL confirmed the continuation of cooperation with Lebanese authorities to achieve peace and stability in the south. He noted that a session will be held on July 21 for consultations regarding the UN Secretary-General's report on UNIFIL, after which discussions will take place on the extension of UNIFIL's mission at Lebanon's request.
Additionally, Prime Minister Mikati received the head of the European Union mission in Lebanon, Ambassador Ralph Tarraf, during which they reviewed the developments in Lebanon and the region. He also met with Army Commander Joseph Aoun to discuss the security situation in the country. Furthermore, he welcomed the Director-General of General Security, Major General Abbas Ibrahim, and discussed the security situation, in addition to Ibrahim's upcoming visit to Iraq tomorrow.
Mikati also met with Minister of Social Affairs Hector Hajjar, who stated: "I have presented to Prime Minister Mikati the stages of implementing the 'Aman' program and the difficulties we face. We discussed possible solutions to activate this program to reach 150,000 families as planned, knowing that the number of beneficiaries to date has reached 75,000 families. We also addressed the issue of humanitarian organizations and their difficult situation, and we will follow up with the Central Bank regarding their demands." Hajjar also briefed the Prime Minister on the atmosphere of their visit to Tripoli and the meetings held there, in addition to the efforts made by "Manhaj Association" and "Om Al-Nour Association" in a center for drug addiction treatment. Prime Minister Mikati expressed his readiness to support the center's work both morally and materially, and this was conveyed today to the Grand Mufti of Tripoli.
Mikati also met with Minister of Agriculture Abbas Al-Haj Hassan, who announced after the meeting: "We discussed agricultural concerns, specifically import and export operations. I briefed Prime Minister Mikati on all the ongoing export operations and the dealings handled by the Ministry of Agriculture. There was also a discussion about the general strike, and Prime Minister Mikati confirmed that this is a right, but solutions should be reached because public facilities cannot come to a halt." He added: "I informed Prime Minister Mikati about the upcoming quadripartite meeting at the end of this month for the agriculture ministers of Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, and Syria, under the auspices of Prime Minister Mikati, to discuss ways to enhance Arab joint action. We hope and aspire for this meeting to be the beginning of broader and more inclusive meetings to achieve Arab integration concerning the agricultural sector and perhaps achieve in agriculture what politics has not accomplished."
Regarding the clearance of goods at the port and the airport, he stated: "As the Ministry of Agriculture, we have not stopped for a moment in recent days. The work of the Ministry of Agriculture employees at marine, land, or air facilities is ongoing to prevent delays or spoilage of any goods." He continued: "There is a trend among the public sector towards a possible more intense strike in the coming days, and we are working to overcome the obstacles to find solutions. This was clearly seen yesterday during the meeting held here at the Grand Serail to ensure ongoing meetings until appropriate solutions for this crisis are found. There is no doubt that the crisis is very significant, but there is determination present, and finding solutions is possible."
Siemens Energy: Mikati received a delegation from Siemens Energy headed by Mr. Dietmar Siersdorfer, with members including Mr. Hassan Dura and Mr. Rohan Lobo. The delegation emphasized "the company's interest in assisting Lebanon to develop and expand its capabilities in electric power production, based on its readiness to participate in any tender requested by the state in collaboration with international partners for financing, implementation, and operation." The delegation indicated that "the offer to secure full financing for completing the project still stands, but global economic changes, particularly regarding inflation, might hinder this opportunity in the coming year."
