PRESIDENT AOUN: Mountain Reconciliation Will Remain

17 Aug 2019

Lebanon - The [Mountain] reconciliation that has taken place will not be shaken even if we differ politically," President Michel Aoun told a delegation from Mountain region who came to welcome him Saturday morning at the presidential summer residence in Beiteddine, upon an initiative by Progressive Socialist Party Chief, Walid Jumblatt.

In this context, Aoun pledged to do his 'utmost' to get the country out of its current situation, calling on political forces to 'unite' and agree on the reconstruction of Lebanon.

"Lebanon is going through severe conditions, where the crises have accumulated, from the global financial crisis to the wars that surrounded us, in addition to the large Syrian displacement, whereby the number of displaced Syrians is about half of Lebanon's population, " Aoun said.

Prior to his meeting with the wide Mountain delegation, Aoun met briefly with Dalia Walid Jumblatt, representing her father and brother, MP Taymour Jumblatt, and Cabinet Ministers Akram Shehayeb and Wael Abu Faour, as well as Deputies Bilal Abdallah and Hadi Abu Al-Hosn.

Welcoming President Aoun in Beiteddine, Jumblatt, deemed his presence "as a great motive for reconciliation and national unity in the Mountain," while relaying the sincere greetings of her father and brother who are currently outside Lebanon."

Following the brief encounter, President Aoun and the delegation joined the remaining members outdoors, where more than 300 persons gathered to greet the President.

In his word of welcome to the President, Minister Shehayeb in turn said: “Your presence is a consecration of the solid reconciliation established by the late Patriarch, Cardinal Nasrallah Butros Sfeir, and strengthened by Patriarch Bechara Butros al-Rahi. It was also reinforced by your visit to the Mukhtara in 2010.”

He added: “Reconciliation was and will remain a bright headline for a unified national life firmly established in the Mountain region, and a headline for promoting coexistence and the meanings of national partnership in this part of the homeland."

It is to note that President Aoun had met earlier with Archbishop of Sidon & Deir el Qamar, Elie Haddad, in the presence of Displaced Minister Ghassan Atallah, who also came to wish him a good summer stay in Beiteddine.