Beirut's Grand Serail, seat of the Lebanese government. (Photo archives L'Orient-Le Jour)
Nagib Mikati's caretaker government was scheduled to meet on Tuesday at 10:30 a.m. at the Grand Serail, to consider an agenda whose first item is the question of the Syrian presence in Lebanon. This issue has been in the headlines for several weeks, against a backdrop of growing hostility among the Lebanese population towards Syrian nationals, and allegations that Western powers are seeking to maintain it. The Beirut government estimates that over 1.5 million Syrian refugees live in Lebanon, of whom some 815,000 are registered with the UN High Commission, making it the highest per capita refugee population in the world. According to our correspondent Hoda Chedid, a national strategy to tackle the issue was presented during the meeting.
The ministers are also due to consider a request from outgoing Defense Minister Maurice Slim for the validation of a "maritime strategy," as well as a request from Middle East Airlines (MEA), the national airline, to cover the additional costs it must incur with its insurers to repatriate its entire fleet to Lebanon, as requested by the Lebanese authorities. Since the start of the Gaza war, MEA has kept some of its aircraft outside the country, which insurers consider to be high-risk due to the spillover of the conflict into southern Lebanon. According to a source familiar with the matter, the sums involved run into the hundreds of millions of dollars.
The outgoing Finance Minister also plans to introduce amendments to the legislation governing the fight against money laundering and the financing of terrorism. This comes at a time when the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), an international body involved in harmonizing regulations in this field, is due to deliver its assessment of Lebanon shortly.
Recognition of the Palestinian state
In his speech at the opening of the meeting, the caretaker prime minister said he had called the prime ministers of Spain and Norway to thank them for their official recognition of the Palestinian state.
"I called the Spanish and Norwegian Prime Ministers in recent days, and on Thursday I will telephone the Irish Prime Minister to thank him for officially recognizing the Palestinian state," said Mikati. "During the call with the Spanish Prime Minister, we stressed the need to immediately pursue a peace conference and affirm the two-state solution, returning to the principles established at the Madrid conference," he added. Organized in October 1991 in the Spanish capital, this conference brought together Israeli, Syrian, Lebanese, Jordanian and Palestinian delegates in a first attempt by the international community to launch a peace process in the Middle East. "This step gives a strong impetus to the right of the Palestinian people to an independent state, in accordance with UN and General Assembly resolutions," added Mikati.
The Prime Minister also welcomed the decision of the International Court of Justice, presided over by Judge Nawaf Salam, himself a former candidate for Prime Minister in Lebanon. "The decision of the International Court of Justice, presided over by Judge Nawaf Salam, ordering Israel to immediately cease its military attack on Rafah or any other action, represents an important step in deterring the Israeli enemy and preventing it from continuing its aggression against the Palestinian people. We salute the courage of the tribunal and its president, and the decision, which sets an important precedent in denouncing Israeli aggression and the genocide it is committing against the Palestinian people. I repeat that the international community must decide whether it wants justice or Israel," added the caretaker prime minister.
This article originally appeared in French in L'Orient-Le Jour.