President Aoun addresses a Lebanese delegation coming from European and American countries

AOUN: UN due to vote on Lebanon's proposal for human academy for dialogue

President Aoun addresses a Lebanese delegation coming from European and American countries


07 Aug 2019

Lebanon - President of the Republic, General Michel Aoun, on Wednesday confirmed that “the path of reform and counter-corruption has no end and it has indeed started. The Lebanese live today in the arms of freedom, sovereignty and independence despite all the wars and pressures. We speak in the name of Lebanon in regional and international forums for the benefit of everyone, without having someone dictating us or influencing us, but rather being, ourselves, the dictators and influencers.”

“Many files have been transferred to judicial authorities, for corruption runs in the veins of several institutions, but we will eradicate it and eradicate any chance of it rooting out again,” President Aoun added, stressing that the message he had addressed to the youth was educational, yet education alone is not enough to face certain incidents like that of Mount Lebanon, which entails the intervention of the judicial authorities that enjoy the right to implement punishments according to laws in force.

President Aoun declared these positions at Baabda Palace during his reception of a Lebanese delegation coming from European and American countries to spend their summer in Lebanon.

President Aoun welcomed the delegation and praised the importance of the visits of the Lebanese youth abroad to Lebanon, indicating that they represent the pulse of the Lebanese abroad, carrying Lebanon in their hearts wherever they go.

President Aoun emphasized the “importance of maintaining loyalty to the countries that embraced our people, without that standing in the way of attachment to one’s homeland and to one’s roots. We share values with these countries and cooperate with the United Nations, despite the existence of some political conflicts, which will eventually fade, so that only truth prevails.

“We turn to the United Nations each year to defend essential matters. This time, a big event will enter the history of Lebanon, for the UN will vote on September the 13th on a project we’ve proposed that is of utter importance to Lebanon and to the world, and it contributes to establishing peace. It is the founding of ‘The Human Academy for Convergence and Dialogue’. Formerly, peace was only on paper, and that is why it was always fragile and defeated. The peace that we call for is a peace stemming from the heart, based on knowing and understanding others no matter their nationality, sect, or ideology. Peace education must therefore prevail, and that will be possible by graduating students from this academy. As such, Lebanon remains loyal to his ancient history and diverse components. You can help us through promulgating this concept and this academy. You can also teach there at a later stage,” he said.

Concerning Lebanon spreading peace education at a time where some parties still don’t believe in peace and tend to cut roads and prevent ministers visiting Lebanese regions, the President of the Republic said that “the aim of the message I’ve addressed to our youth a while ago is teaching those who lack this education, and if they had acted upon its essence, there would not have been in any kind of problem. Certainly, no one needs a “special permission” to roam his own country, and he who refuses justice, refuses a society that cannot live in chaos. Hence, the messages we send from time to time are educational, but that which happened has judicial consequences and it has gone down as such because teaching alone is not enough, and judicial authorities are needed because they have the prerogative of punishment according to the laws in force. So, do not fear, for the situation is being controlled. Violations shall be punished at occurrence, for even in the developed societies, austerity is used in handling violations.”

He also mentioned that “it also requires raising many generations on a new hierarchy of values based on loyalty to one’s country and working for its sake, not on stealing needs. Thus, it is an obligation to raise people towards sound thinking in the society and moral immunity, and I hope that the young generations carry on what we have started.”

Following that, Baabda Palace witnessed a series of political and social meetings, the focus of which was the recent developments and how to tackle them.

MP Makhzoumi

Within this framework, President Aoun received head of National Dialogue Party, Member of Parliament Fouad Makhzoumi and had a developments-related round of talks with him, which included the current issues.

After the meeting, MP Makhzoumi said,” We reconfirmed the necessity of setting an economic plan and vision for the coming years, especially that the International Bank and international economic bodies are waiting on us for a lot, let alone the promises of the donor countries in CEDRE to achieve real structural reforms in the economy.” He also called for the “approval of the 2020 budget at the specified date and with the required reforms.”

Naji Boustani

President Aoun also addressed political developments with former Minister Naji Boustani who said after the meeting, “The situation is critical and requires everyone taking responsibility. His Excellency the President, entrusted over the stability that holds together the rule of law and institutions, and dedicated to the country with all its components, co-existence, and civic peace, has spared no effort to handle the situation while keeping these invariables untouched.”


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