Lebanon's caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati reaffirmed today, Monday, the country's commitment to the provisions of United Nations Resolution 1701 and the coordination between the Lebanese Army and UNIFIL forces to maintain stability in the south and along the Lebanese border.
Mikati called on the United Nations to "pressure Israel to stop its repeated violations of the blue line and Lebanese sovereignty, as well as to cease operations within Lebanese territory, as this is causing serious tensions." He reiterated Lebanon's right to reclaim its occupied territories and not to relinquish them. Mikati held a meeting, attended by Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib, with the commander of the international forces in the south, General Arnaldo Lazaro, along with political advisor Hervé Le Coq, to discuss the security situation in the south.
#### Justice Minister Meeting
The Prime Minister also met with Justice Minister Henry Khoury, who explained after the meeting that he presented "all the available data regarding the self-proceedings and the work done by the lawyers Emmanuel Daoud and Pascal Bouffet. The details were sufficient for a decision I made previously, and the Prime Minister was very understanding and expressed his approval of this option. He will present it in detail to the Cabinet tomorrow and, God willing, the Cabinet will adopt these two options that I, as a minister of justice, signed contracts with."
In response to a question about the possibility that the Cabinet might not approve what he proposed tomorrow, he said: "I do not want to engage in this assumption as it has legal implications for the nation. There are rights of the Lebanese state that we must maintain, and I have said and I repeat that in the event it is proven that the individuals concerned or pursued abroad committed the crimes attributed to them, my concern is solely about preserving the state's rights in the event that the crimes attributed to the individuals involved in the case, namely Riad Salameh and his associates, are proven."
Regarding the countries in which the lawyers will operate, Khoury stated: "So far, in France, and we will take similar actions in other countries. This is something we are studying as our work focuses on protecting the state's rights wherever they may be."
#### Electricity File
As for the electricity file, Minister of Energy and Water Walid Fayad emphasized the need to "pay for electricity as it has costs, namely production, distribution, maintenance, and salaries, which should be covered through the electricity tariff. Of course, Lebanese people should not be required to cover the consumption costs of Syrians and Palestinians; each party must cover its consumption costs."
He continued, "During the meeting chaired by Mikati to discuss the file in Palestinian camps and places gathering Syrian refugees, it was agreed to establish two technical committees. The first addresses the issue of Syrian camps to pay the dues owed, and the Electricité du Liban has installed about 900 meters in those camps. The second committee addresses the issue of Palestinian refugees. The first meeting will take place tomorrow at the Electricité du Liban and will be dedicated to Palestinian camps, while the second will focus on Syrians. This is important, as we approach the second cycle of issuing bills for January and February, and Lebanese people should know that they are not required to cover the costs of displaced persons' consumption."
#### Pharmacists Syndicate
Mikati also received a delegation from the Pharmacists Syndicate led by Syndicate Chief Joe Saloum. He said, "We presented the issue of the health security of the Lebanese patient, which we consider to be highly threatened. We also discussed matters related to the pharmacy profession and the organization of pharmacists and some regulations. We reaffirmed our full support for Lebanese pharmacists and the tracking system for cancer medications, especially those that had previously been smuggled, benefiting certain individuals at the expense of the patient's health."
#### Beirut Families Union
Finally, Mikati welcomed the new administrative committee of the Union of Beirut Families Associations, headed by Mohieddine Kashli, and wished them success in their new roles.
