The cabinet on Thursday renewed the tenure of Central Bank Governor Riad Salameh as of August 1, assigned “Brigadier General” Walid Salman as army chief of staff and assigned Antoine Choucair as director general of the presidency.
Following the cabinet’s meeting at Baabda Presidential Palace, Information Minister Walid Daouq told reporters that the cabinet approved extending UNIFIL’s term in Lebanon for one more year as of August 31, adding that ministers called for resuming the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701.
The release of the seven Estonians was also addressed in the cabinet, Daouq said, and quoted President Michel Sleiman as saying that if it weren’t for the Lebanese security forces detaining some of the persons who carried out the abduction, the Estonians would not have been released.
Sleiman also thanked France for its role, and said it was important that those behind the abduction are punished, Daouq added.
Daouq also said that the cabinet discussed maritime borders and the economic zone, adding that Sleiman said the appropriate procedures must be taken to protect Lebanon’s rights.
The president also requested ministers to not make statements regarding the issue of maritime borders in order to prevent any harm, Daouq added.
The information minister also quoted Prime Minister Najib Mikati as saying that the cabinet does not belong to a single party and that it is not controlled by a foreign party.
“Our government was formed upon constitutional protocol, and it will not be a coup cabinet, as some say,” Mikati said according to Daouq.
Mikati also called for not involving the issue of maritime borders in political debates, adding that he will make efforts to resolve the issue having only Lebanon’s higher interests in mind, the minister added.
The cabinet voiced the importance of defending Lebanon’s rights through all legitimate means possible, Daouq said, adding that the cabinet will convene on Monday afternoon.
Mikati’s cabinet, which was formed on June 13, was granted parliament’s vote of confidence last week.
The kidnapped Estonians were freed in Lebanon Thursday after being abducted by armed men, as they entered the country on a bicycle tour from neighboring Syria.
Israel's cabinet approved on Sunday a map of the Jewish state's proposed maritime borders with Lebanon which is to be submitted to the UN.
Following Israel’s approval of the map, Energy Minister Gebran Bassil countered that Lebanon will not give up its maritime rights.
The Lebanese Parliament in August 2010 passed an oil exploration bill, which calls for the establishment of a treasury and a committee to oversee exploration and drilling off Lebanon.
No comments:
Post a Comment