Aoun Warns Against Destructive Rumors: Lebanese Pound Not in Danger, Lebanon Not Bankrupt 19 Sep 2018 Lebanon - President of the Republic, General Michel Aoun, warned this Wednesday against spreading negativity over the country’s economic situation, and disseminating harmful rumors. "The Lebanese pound is not in danger and Lebanon is not on the road to bankruptcy," he affirmed. "We are working on tackling the current economic crisis, and we have to be a people resisting despair. As we have resisted for our freedom, sovereignty and independence, we must today resist in order to save our homeland." President Aoun's stance came during his meeting at the Baabda Palace with a delegation of the Lions clubs headed by Governor of the region 351, which includes Lebanon, Jordan, Palestine and Iraq, Engineer Eli Zeinoun. The delegation visited the Baabda Palace to thank President Aoun for patronizing the hand-over ceremony held recently, and to brief him on the Lions humanitarian activities and programs scheduled for 2018. President Aoun praised "the work of the Lions clubs, mainly in terms of the assistance they provide to those in need." He hoped that the overall situation in Lebanon and the Arab countries would improve significantly, and peace would prevail. "The dreadful conditions witnessed by these countries reflect the absurdity of wars that lead peoples to autocracy that enslaves them instead of liberating them," he said. "We in the Arab world are all martyrs alive, and the shrapnels of wars in the region have spread across Lebanon through terrorism and sleeper cells. We thank God that we have been able to establish internal security and fortify our borders. We are now at the point of addressing economic security after we inherited many economic burdens. What is being circulated is that the economic situation is on the brink of the abyss, and this is not only wrong but also abhorrent," the President went on to say. In response to questions from the audience, President Aoun stressed that "there are political parties working on spreading rumors to derail the reform process that have initiated." He assured that "investigations are underway into all the violations that control bodies have their hands on. What happened at the Rafic Hariri International Airport is under investigation, and responsibilities will be determined." On a different note, President Aoun chaired a meeting in preparation for Lebanon's participation in the UN General Assembly, which begins next week in New York. During the meeting, conferees discussed key issues on the agenda of the UN General Assembly, and Lebanon's position thereon. They also reviewed the progress made in the suggestion put forth by President Aoun at last year's session when he called for Lebanon to be rendered a center for dialogue of civilizations, cultures, religions and races. |