Lebanese President Michel Aoun welcomed a delegation from the Arab Ministers Council at the Baabda Palace this morning. The delegation included the President of the 37th session of the Arab Ministers of Justice Council, Algerian Justice Minister Judge Abd al-Rachid Tabi, Palestinian Justice Minister Judge Muhammad Fhad al-Shalalda, and the Minister of Justice from the Kurdistan Regional Government, Judge Faras Ahmad. Present were Lebanese Justice Minister Judge Henri Khoury, Algerian Ambassador Abdel Karim Rakabi, Palestinian Ambassador Ashraf Dabbour, Assistant Secretary-General of the Arab League and Chairman of the Arab Center for Legal and Judicial Research Ambassador Abdel Rahman al-Sulh, advisor to Kurdistan’s President Ghazi Sabra, Deputy Ambassador of the Arab League in Beirut Youssef al-Sabawi, along with Director-General of the Presidency Dr. Antoine Shuqair, former Minister Selim Jreisati, and advisors Rafiq Shalala and Osama Khashab. The delegation explained the purpose of their visit, which is to hold a ceremony tomorrow to award the Arab Prize for the Best Doctoral Thesis in the field of law and judiciary to three winners.
Tabi expressed the delegation's happiness being in Lebanon and thanked President Aoun for his reception, relaying greetings from Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune and the people of Algeria, wishing "prosperity and stability" for Lebanon. Other delegation members emphasized "the significance they place on Lebanon and the love that the Lebanese people hold in the hearts of the peoples of their countries," wishing for "the cloud of problems over Lebanon to clear for it to regain its vitality and bright image."
President Aoun welcomed the delegation "to Beirut, which opens its doors to everyone, especially to Arab brothers," stressing Lebanon's complete willingness to cooperate with Arab countries and to stand together on all matters that help develop and enhance laws and unify legislation in these nations. He wished the delegation success in their projects and efforts to elevate the spirit and independence of the law, and hoped that the delegation would help alleviate problems that may arise among Arab brothers and prevent them from escalating into something undesirable. He praised "the efforts made by the Arab Ministers of Justice Council to enhance scientific research" and commended the choice of Beirut, the mother of laws, as the venue for the ceremony, which hosts the headquarters of the Arab Center for Legal and Judicial Research. He affirmed that "this event is new evidence of the faith in Lebanon by its brothers, in its ability to overcome the challenges it faces, as it has done throughout its ancient and modern history."
In another context, the President sent a message to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz congratulating him on the founding anniversary of the Kingdom.
The message read:
"Your Majesty, King Salman bin Abdulaziz,
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques,
As the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia celebrates its founding anniversary, I am pleased to send you my sincerest heartfelt congratulations, hoping that God Almighty returns it to you and the brotherly Saudi people with goodness and blessings. This anniversary that you celebrate, as you confirmed, marks the history of a state, the cohesion of its people, resilience against all challenges, and aspirations for the future, remains a hallmark of many bright milestones in the Kingdom's history, which has succeeded through its vision and efforts in securing a prominent position among modern countries seeking broad horizons. It has not spared any effort to defend just humanitarian and Arab causes and to maintain a unified Arabic voice amidst all the circumstances witnessed in the region.
Lebanon appreciates the continuous support of the Kingdom, government, and people, and looks forward to what returns goodwill on the bilateral relations for the benefit of both brotherly peoples. It expresses its hope that God blesses you with ample capability to enable you to continue leading your country towards progress and prosperity."
President Aoun also sent a message to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, emphasizing the significance of this occasion, considering it "one of the bright milestones in the Kingdom’s history that has faced challenges in building a bright future."
