The Director General of General Security, Major General Abbas Ibrahim, welcomed Minister of Economy in the caretaker government, Amin Salam, today, Tuesday, in his office in Beirut, where they discussed updates on the local scene economically, politically, and socially.
After the meeting, Salam said: "We are always accustomed to meeting with Major General Abbas Ibrahim, who is a friend and an example of a national figure. We maintain ongoing coordination with him on several important issues and files concerning Lebanon, foremost among them the displaced persons file, food security, and general economic matters. We felt a great deal of interest, care, and follow-up from General Ibrahim regarding these topics. This concern stems from a love for the homeland, and there is information and expertise that he provides us which serve as a foundational base for the work we do."
In response to a question about his visit to the United States, Minister Salam noted: "We presented to General Ibrahim, who has a long history of working with the American administration, regarding the extended visit to the United States where we discussed complex social, political, and regional files. The visit was positive in terms of the assurances we received regarding the American administration's concern for Lebanon's stability, and solving key issues like the land border demarcation, and we sensed American interest. We also discussed the oil and gas file and felt interest from the American private sector in terms of investment in this field if positive results for gas emerge in Lebanese waters in the coming months."
He continued: "The focus of the American administration was on the issue of Syrian refugees, and we emphasized the American role in this file, as they have the ability to find solutions to this problem with the European Union, a partner in this issue."
In response to a question regarding wheat, Salam said: "We previously reassured citizens that there is no instability in the wheat file and what has been said about a return to the crisis in the wheat issue, and that there is a decision to lift support is not accurate. We handle this file with great care especially since it concerns people's bread and sustenance, and we do not act arbitrarily nor allow any decisions regarding wheat to be taken without alternative plans to avoid harming the people. Today, the World Bank's loan still has a significant timeframe, and we are talking about a period of nine months, and we are studying with the World Bank the possibility of converting this loan into a subsidy card benefiting the most needy families."
Salam concluded: "From here, we reassure that there is no crisis in wheat, and there is no issue with the pricing of bread."
