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Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati chaired the first Cabinet meeting of the year 2024 on Friday morning. At the start of the session, Mikati stated that all international decisions have not been implemented by Israel, while we “continue to affirm our compliance with international legitimacy, our ministerial statement emphasized respect for all international resolutions.” The PM explained that they have informed all envoys that discussing a ceasefire in Lebanon alone is “illogical.” According to him, based on Lebanon’s “Arab identity and principles,” they demanded an “immediate ceasefire in Gaza, parallel to a new ceasefire in Lebanon.”
He pointed out that in the “midst of intense diplomatic efforts towards Lebanon, and at the time of this session against the backdrop of the ongoing Israeli aggression on southern Lebanon and Gaza, the current situation is better than it was two months ago in terms of understanding the Lebanese perspective.” He noted that this was also conveyed to US envoy Amos Hochstein, which includes the “acknowledgment of international decisions dating back to 1949 up to Resolution 1701.”
He addressed the “criticism from some,” in other terms Gebran Bassil, head of the Free Patriotic Movement, accusing him of assuming the role of the president. “We are working to manage the country’s affairs in the present circumstances and these challenging times,” he said. “Those who criticize should fulfill their duty in electing a president as soon as possible, and this is the beginning of the required solution, we hope to witness the election of a new president of the republic in the coming months so that constitutional work can proceed as it should,“ he added.
Mikati commented on the incident at the Beirut airport by commending the efforts of caretaker Minister of Public Works and Transport, calling all ministers to “ensure the safety of their computer systems and review their protection methods considering any system may be vulnerable.”
He noted that the financial incentives for the public sector won’t be tackled in the Cabinet session today due to “studies and audits that revealed that objections regarding the gap between the military, security forces and the general administration are serious and require further scrutiny.”
“We decided to defer the topic to the next Cabinet session, emphasizing the retroactive implementation of financial incentives starting from the first of last December,” he said.
34 items are scheduled on the agenda. However, according to the local TV station MTV's sources, the issue of military appointments will not be raised outside the Cabinet agenda. The Cabinet is due to consider the appointments of a Chief of the Army Staff (a position vacant since the retirement of General Amin el-Orm on December 24, 2022) and two members (Inspector General and Director General of Administration) of the Military Council, which comprises six members.
[readmore url="https://thisisbeirut.com.lb/lebanon/215030"]
The meeting was attended by the Deputy Prime Minister, Saade Chami, as well as the caretaker Ministers of Education, Abbas Halabi, Information, Ziad Makary, Administrative Development, Najla Riachi, Industry, Georges Bouchikian, Economy, Amine Salam, Telecommunications, Johnny Corm, Interior, Bassam Mawlawi, Environment, Nasser Yassine, Tourism, Walid Nassar, Culture, Mohammad Mortada, Health, Firas Abiad, Labor, Moustafa Bayram, Transport and Public Works, Ali Hamiye and Agriculture, Abbas Al Hajj Hassan.
He pointed out that in the “midst of intense diplomatic efforts towards Lebanon, and at the time of this session against the backdrop of the ongoing Israeli aggression on southern Lebanon and Gaza, the current situation is better than it was two months ago in terms of understanding the Lebanese perspective.” He noted that this was also conveyed to US envoy Amos Hochstein, which includes the “acknowledgment of international decisions dating back to 1949 up to Resolution 1701.”
He addressed the “criticism from some,” in other terms Gebran Bassil, head of the Free Patriotic Movement, accusing him of assuming the role of the president. “We are working to manage the country’s affairs in the present circumstances and these challenging times,” he said. “Those who criticize should fulfill their duty in electing a president as soon as possible, and this is the beginning of the required solution, we hope to witness the election of a new president of the republic in the coming months so that constitutional work can proceed as it should,“ he added.
Mikati commented on the incident at the Beirut airport by commending the efforts of caretaker Minister of Public Works and Transport, calling all ministers to “ensure the safety of their computer systems and review their protection methods considering any system may be vulnerable.”
He noted that the financial incentives for the public sector won’t be tackled in the Cabinet session today due to “studies and audits that revealed that objections regarding the gap between the military, security forces and the general administration are serious and require further scrutiny.”
“We decided to defer the topic to the next Cabinet session, emphasizing the retroactive implementation of financial incentives starting from the first of last December,” he said.
34 items are scheduled on the agenda. However, according to the local TV station MTV's sources, the issue of military appointments will not be raised outside the Cabinet agenda. The Cabinet is due to consider the appointments of a Chief of the Army Staff (a position vacant since the retirement of General Amin el-Orm on December 24, 2022) and two members (Inspector General and Director General of Administration) of the Military Council, which comprises six members.
[readmore url="https://thisisbeirut.com.lb/lebanon/215030"]
The meeting was attended by the Deputy Prime Minister, Saade Chami, as well as the caretaker Ministers of Education, Abbas Halabi, Information, Ziad Makary, Administrative Development, Najla Riachi, Industry, Georges Bouchikian, Economy, Amine Salam, Telecommunications, Johnny Corm, Interior, Bassam Mawlawi, Environment, Nasser Yassine, Tourism, Walid Nassar, Culture, Mohammad Mortada, Health, Firas Abiad, Labor, Moustafa Bayram, Transport and Public Works, Ali Hamiye and Agriculture, Abbas Al Hajj Hassan.
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