(MENAFN- The Peninsula) QNA
Beirut: The Lebanese President, HE General Michel Aoun, valued the permanent support of Qatar to Lebanon in the difficult stages it went through, indicating that this relationship has been strengthened at the level of leaders and brotherly peoples over time.
In an interview to Qatar News Agency (QNA), the Lebanese president noted the depth of the Qatari-Lebanese relations, pointing out that the relationship between Lebanon and Qatar is not a product of this time, but rather old and reflects the brotherly ties that unite the two countries and peoples, stressing the keenness of the Lebanese and Qatari sides to continue and develop this relationship in view of the common desire to preserve it.
He drew attention to the seriousness of the Arab-Arab differences and their negative effects on all Arab countries and peoples, expressing at the same time Lebanon's commitment to a position of solidarity and unity among Arab countries, stressing Lebanon's keenness to establish good relations with Arab countries in general and the Gulf countries in particular.
His Excellency stressed that Lebanon depends on the Arab countries to be its economic path to the world, especially with the presence of the Israeli enemy on its southern borders, in addition to the nature of interaction between the Lebanese people and other Arab peoples, which makes strengthening relations a fundamental necessity for its stability on the political and economic levels.
The Lebanese President expressed his aspirations that the next parliament would elect a new president for the Lebanese Republic who would complete the road map he had set to end the difficult situation the Lebanese live in, in addition to passing legislation based on Lebanon's position on the path of financial and economic recovery and holding all those who committed crimes accountable.
In response to a question about Lebanon's implementation of the unified defense strategy which is based on confining arms to the Lebanese army in light of the criticism directed from abroad about the presence of arms in the hands of the Lebanese parties, HE General Michel Aoun said that addressing an issue of this magnitude requires a comprehensive consensus by all parties because the reflection of the issue affects everyone without exception, and the issue of the defense strategy cannot be adopted and applied by one party.
He indicated that he had previously presented to the Lebanese parties his objective vision to reach a suitable ground for discussion on the issue of weapons and how to confront Israeli threats and ambitions, especially in light of the Israeli superiority in the balance of power in terms of weapons.
In this context, he made it clear that there are currently developments that have imposed themselves in the world and the region, and they cannot be ignored when talking about a defense strategy, so he called for a comprehensive national meeting to discuss this matter, but after discussing the most vital and dangerous issue of the economic and financial situation, while some responded to this invitation, others decided to deafen their ears.
Regarding the economic and financial crisis that his country is going through, the Lebanese President said, it is not hidden the size of the great crisis that Lebanon is experiencing on the financial and economic levels, stressing his conviction that the agreement with the International Monetary Fund is the beginning of the march towards recovery and exit from this crisis.
His Excellency believed that the long-term accumulations brought Lebanon to the current situation, in addition to relying on the rentier economy rather than the product, and the failure to put in place sufficient laws to activate oversight and reduce waste and corruption, all of which have combined to throw their weight on the shoulders of the Lebanese.
His Excellency added that resolving the crisis requires today a comprehensive reform program and achieving economic and financial stability by establishing effective policies and reforms to revive the economy, rebuild confidence and broad support from all parties, and an explicit acknowledgment of the losses in the financial system and agreement on ways to address them.
He revealed that the goal of reaching an agreement with the International Monetary Fund is not only to obtain the amount of three billion dollars, or any other amount, as much as it is to lay down a valid road map for a valid economic and financial future vision that secures stability on these two levels and allows the Lebanese to recover and be assured of a promising future.
His Excellency revealed that the Lebanese government has developed a plan called the 'economic recovery plan', in which everything must be done in order to overcome the current situation, through measures that may be harsh, but necessary, not forgetting that the problem is the result of accumulations that are decades old.
His Excellency pointed out that it was not easy to maintain security stability in Lebanon in a region that was raging with conflicts and in light of the fierce war that Syria has witnessed since 2011.
His Excellency explained that despite the great differences of opinion among the Lebanese, they all agreed that the security factor is the main common denominator for the survival of the country and the preservation of its identity, otherwise they will all lose and enter into an unknown fate.
His Excellency added: 'Therefore, we worked to strengthen this cohesion among the Lebanese first, and facilitated the bypass around the Lebanese army and security services, which played their full role, and deserved the trust of Arab and Western countries alike. Logistical support was provided to them from all countries of the world, after everyone made sure that Lebanon is strongly involved in the process of combating terrorism and bringing down all the schemes of the terrorists who did not succeed in imposing their vision and ideas.'
He believed that the diversity of Lebanese society was the main factor in the rapprochement between the Lebanese and their standing together in the face of terrorists who wanted to strike civilizations and sow discord between religions and sects, so their failure in Lebanon was resounding.
MENAFN14052022000063011010ID1104212394
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.