President of the Republic, General Michel Aoun, considered that the “Current events in Lebanon did not come by chance, but rather as a result of a reality that caused sterility in the work of the country’s political institutions, corruption that corroded official institutions and administrations, and the reluctance of officials over the past years to address it, which further complicated matters”.
The President’s positions came while meeting a delegation of the American Task Force for Lebanon headed by former Ambassador Ed Gabriel, and the membership of Mr. Najad Fares and Mr. Jay Ghazal, in the presence of the US Ambassador to Lebanon Dorothy Shea.
President Aoun presented the current political, social and economic conditions, and the reasons that led Lebanon to the situation it is currently suffering from at various levels and in all sectors, noting that he had spared no effort but exerted himself in order to achieve the desired reform, but he was confronted every time with internal obstacles “Which left negative effects on the development of the situation”.
President Aoun also pointed out that the negotiations with the International Monetary Fund reached specific results that must be completed, stressing in this context the need to form a new government to follow up on this fundamental and vital file for the future of economic advancement.
In response to a question from the delegation members, President Aoun affirmed that it is not permissible to delay the process of demarcating the southern maritime borders, stressing the need to activate the American mediation carried out by Ambassador Amos Hochstein to reach quick conclusions, and enable Lebanon to invest its rights of oil and gas in its waters on the one hand, while maintaining stability of borders, and focusing on the importance of the time factor in this regard.
For his side, Ambassador Gabriel conveyed to President Aoun that the group stood by Lebanon and the Lebanese, and made the required efforts with the administration of US President Joe Biden and the US Congress, in order to meet the demands of the Lebanese people, especially in light of these difficult conditions they are suffering from, and stressed the importance of speeding up the events and reforms needed because time is no longer a contributing factor.
For his part, House Speaker Nabih Berri welcomed the US delegation, rejecting any delay in the demarcation of the maritime borders and extraction of Lebanon’s oil wealth.
Source: NNA
