Beirut (agencies)
Yesterday, Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati affirmed the continuation of steps to develop and strengthen Lebanon’s Arab relations, especially with the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council.
At the beginning of the cabinet session, Mikati said: “We are assured of the return of clarity to Lebanon’s Arab relations, especially with the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, and we will continue steps to strengthen and develop these relations.”
“We are convinced that we are doing all the work that is required of us,” he added.
He stressed that “despite the negative atmosphere that some people are circulating, the government is making a great effort, security is stable compared to what it was before, and the money is distributed to the families in need.”
He explained that “the parliamentary elections will take place on time, and we are committed to carrying it out, and the required credits are secured.”
He said, “On the subject of the economic recovery plan, it is necessary to note the effort made by the committee headed by the Deputy Prime Minister in the matter of negotiating with the International Monetary Fund.” For her part, the resident representative of the United Nations in Lebanon, Najat Rushdie, announced yesterday that the priority of the United Nations is to support the Lebanese government to return the country to the path of recovery, by addressing the files of corruption, the economic crisis, energy and education.
Rushdie said, during the launch ceremony of the “Strategic Framework for the United Nations’ Action in Lebanon for the Period Between 2022 and 2025”, which was held yesterday at the Grand Serail in Beirut, under the patronage of Mikati, and with the participation of a number of ministers: “We have witnessed an increase in poverty rates that have doubled, and this is a deterioration.” It is significant compared to cases of lack in other countries, and we are witnessing a severe deterioration in the provision of social and basic services at the levels of health, education, water and energy.”
She referred to the priorities and support that the United Nations will provide for the period from 2023 to 2025, in cooperation with the relevant ministries and the government, and in consultation with the private sector, governorates, civil society and local communities. This analysis has been prepared, and the purpose is to reach solutions through the support of the United Nations to the Lebanese government.
And she considered that “there is a structural defect in the economic model, which must be redesigned and restructured, taking into account the current economic context, the collapse of the exchange rate and capital control, the lifting of subsidies, and inappropriate policies in terms of supporting infrastructure and brain drain.”
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