Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati held several meetings, in Jeddah Saudi Arabia, before the convening of the 32nd regular session of the Arab League Summit on Friday afternoon.
In this regard, Mikati first met with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, who reaffirmed his continuous support for Lebanon and its recovery process, expressing his hope for the election of a new Lebanese president as soon as possible.
Thereafter, Mikati held a meeting with Iraqi Prime Minister Muhammad Shia’a al-Sudani. The Lebanese PM indicated that “Iraq has always outstretched a hand to Lebanon in light of the difficult circumstances the country is facing,” and thanked the Iraqi state for its continuous assistance.
“The recent Iraqi initiative regarding the supply of oil to Lebanon represents basic support at this stage for all Lebanese and all productive sectors. We also thank Iraq for facilitating the arrival of transit trucks, through Iraqi territory, to the Gulf countries. A memorandum of understanding will be signed soon between Lebanon and Iraq,“ he highlighted.
Furthermore, Mikati will deliver a speech at the Arab Summit this afternoon, which will focus on the Syrian refugee crisis as well as the economic conditions affecting Lebanon, and the importance of the Arab countries’ support in restoring the country’s well-being. He will also stress upon the importance of achieving these goals with a dialogue among Lebanese parties to agree on a President of the Republic, which will serve as a gateway for Arab and international support for Lebanon.
