NNA - Caretaker Prime Minister, Najib Mikati, on Tuesday met at the Grand Serail with UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon, Joanna Wronecka, who stressed the necessity of preserving local stability, speeding up the election of a president, and enacting the required reforms.
She also highlighted the importance of the UNIFIL presence in south Lebanon and of respecting international resolutions.
The Prime Minister also met with US Ambassador to Lebanon, Dorothy Shea, with whom he discussed the country’s general situation, as well as US-Lebanese bilateral relations.
Mikati then welcomed Caretaker Telecoms Minister, Johnny Corm, who visited him in the company of a delegation from "Ogero" workers’ union, in the presence of Ogero General Director, Imad Kreidieh, and General Labor Confederation Head, Beshara Al-Asmar.
On emerging, Minister Corm described the atmosphere of the meeting with Mikati as “very positive”, noting that the meeting discussed short and medium-term solutions to the telecoms sector’s crisis.
"The union has four demands: first, a transportation allowance of 5 liters per day for those who come to work; secondly, school aid; thirdly, a part of the monthly wage to be paid in USD; fourthly, health insurance,” Corm said.
With regard to raising Ogero tariff, Corm said, “We have discussed this matter several times, and I’ve said that we are in the process of preparing a study on this matter; once it is finished, we will share the outcome with you."
Mikati then welcomed Minister of Public Health, Firas Abiad, who visited him with an accompanying delegation of Akar MPs.
The meeting reportedly broached health matters in Akar regions, especially with regard to government hospitals and the new hospital that the state will establish in said region as a generous gift from the State of Kuwait.
Mikati later had an audience with Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, Abdullah Bou Habib, who said after the meeting: "I’ve briefed Mikati on the atmosphere of my visit to Jordan, and the meeting I’ve held with His Majesty King Abdullah II and with my Jordanian counterpart, Ayman Safadi.”
“We’ve also touched on administrative issues and those concerning refugees in Lebanon; the committee in charge of discussing refugee affairs will meet soon under the PM’s chairmanship, the UNHCR, and other concerned authorities,” Habib added.
Mikati finally welcomed head of the Order of Malta in Lebanon, Marwan Sehnawi, who said after the meeting: “I came to thank Premiere Mikati for his visit to the headquarters of the Sovereign Order of Malta in Rome during his recent trip to the Vatican, where he heaped praise on the work we are doing in Lebanon.”
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