NNA - President of the Republic, General Michel Aoun, met Foreign Affairs Minister, Dr. Abdullah Bou Habib, today at Baabda Palace.

Local, regional and international developments, were addressed in addition to and the talks held with the American mediator in the indirect negotiations for the demarcation of the southern maritime borders, Mr. Amos Hochstein, and the data available on the contacts made by the American mediator to move the file of indirect negotiations, which are supposed to be completed demarcation of boundaries.

Director General of the Arab Organization for Education, Culture and Science:

President Aoun received the Director General of the Arab Organization for Education, Culture and Science ALECSO Dr. Mohamed Ould Ammar, in the presence of the Minister of Culture, Judge Mohamed Wissam Mortada.

Dr. Ammar was accompanied by the coordinator of cultural projects in the organization, Mr. Abdel Hadi Al-Ghamari.

The meeting aimed to inform the President of the organization’s activities in general and in Lebanon in particular.

Dr. Ammar indicated that the organization was the first to support Lebanon during the crisis it went through by organizing meetings that dealt with several fields, during which the organization’s experience in the field of education and science was put at the disposal of those responsible for this file in Lebanon.

Ammar also pointed out that preparations are underway to celebrate in the year 2024 the city of Tripoli as the capital of Arab culture, in cooperation with the Lebanese National Committee.

For his part, Minister Mortada talked about the existing coordination with the ALECSO organization, which includes Arab countries and whose energies Lebanon benefits from to preserve the archaeological heritage and all that has positive repercussions on cultural identity.

President Aoun had welcomed Dr. Ammar, wishing him success in his efforts to enhance educational, cultural and scientific cooperation with Lebanon and the Arab countries.

The President also congratulated Dr. Ammar on the occasion of the 52nd anniversary of the founding of the organization, which is on the 25th of last July.

In addition, President Aoun pointed out that coordination between Arab countries in the Arab cultural field is important, especially since cultural work pays a heavy price as a result of the many crises that the world and the countries of the Arab region are going through, including wars, conflicts, tragedies, displacement, social crises and other negative repercussions on the march of advancement and the path of achieving development goals.

Finally, the President stressed the need for capabilities to enhance the role of culture and education in societies as a result of severe economic crises and their repercussions on the younger generations.

President of the Republic, General Michel Aoun, received the credentials of five new ambassadors accredited to Lebanon.

Ambassadors are: Uruguayan Ambassador, Carlos GITTO, Ambassador of Kazakhstan, Rasoul Gumali, Ambassador of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Hamish Cowell CMG, Iranian Ambassador, Mojtaba Amani Hamedani, and the Ambassador of Turkmenistan, Muhammetgeldi AYAZOV.

The official ceremonies to present the credentials took place, in the presence of the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, Abdullah Bou Habib, the Secretary-General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Hani Shmeitli, the Director General of Protocols at the Presidency of the Republic, Dr. Nabil Shedid, and the Deputy Director of Protocols at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Consul Salam Al-Ashkar.

Upon the ambassadors’ arrival to the Presidential Palace, the army’s music played the anthem of the country represented by each ambassador, and flags were hoisted on the mast of the Presidential Palace alongside the Lebanese flag.

Then, each ambassador saluted the flag and entered the salon of October 22 amid two rows of spears, and from there to the ambassadors’ salon to present his credentials to President Aoun, and to introduce himself and the members of the diplomatic mission.

Upon leaving, the army’s music played the Lebanese national anthem.

During the ceremony, ambassadors conveyed to President Aoun the greetings of their country’s presidents and leaders, and stressed the need to work on everything that would strengthen bilateral relations between their countries and Lebanon.

For his part, the President conveyed his greetings to the ambassadors to the leaders and heads of their countries, stressing Lebanon’s keenness to strengthen relations with their brotherly and friendly countries for the benefit of Lebanon, their countries, their people and the Lebanese.

President Aoun also wished the new ambassadors success in their new duties.

Biographies:

Ambassador of Eastern Uruguay, Carlos GITTO:

-Holds a doctorate in diplomatic sciences and a bachelor’s degree in law and political science.

-Conducted training courses for diplomats.

-Fluctuated in several administrative positions, especially in the Ministries of Labor and Social Affairs, and then Uruguayan Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

-Appointed second secretary of his country's embassy in Ottawa from 1995-2000, Canada, before he was appointed from 2003-2004 as a counselor at Uruguay’s embassy in Washington, DC.

-Appointed between 2011-2017 as Minister and Deputy Head of his country’s mission in Argentina, before he was appointed as Director of the European Affairs Office at his country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs from 2018-2021.

-Worked on the establishment of the joint health committee on the borders between his country and Brazil, and also served as the coordinator of the joint committee between his country and Brazil for strategic planning and fruitful integration.

-Worked on the development of a number of cultural projects.

-In 2016, he completed 30 years of public service within the framework of the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, as well as at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of his country.

Ambassador of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Rasul Gumali:

-Born in 1971.

-Fluctuated in several administrative positions, where he was appointed between 1996-1998 as Third Secretary and then Second Secretary at the Blah Embassy in Egypt.

-In 1999, he was appointed head of a unit in the Bilateral Cooperation Department of his country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

-Appointed between 1999-2000, head of the media office of his country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, before he was appointed between 2000-2002, media official for his country’s prime minister, and head of the information office of the prime minister.

- Appointed from 2004-2005, as Consul General of his country in the United Arab Emirates.

-Worked as a publisher of an educational magazine in the Kazakh language from 2010-2011, and since 2008 until today he has been a publisher of the Exclusive Studies magazine.

Ambassador of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland Hamish Cowell CMG:

-Fluctuated in several administrative positions, as he began his work as an assistant in the Iran-Iraq and the Middle East Department, in his country's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, from 1987-1988.

-Appointed second secretary at his country’s embassy in Colombo from 1989-1992, then appointed deputy head of his country’s mission and first political secretary to his country’s embassy in Tehran from 1992-1994.

-Appointed from 1996-1999, as Head of the Political and Economic Department of his country's embassy in Cairo.

-Appointed in the year 2000, at the head of the British government, before working as an assistant researcher at the International Institute for Strategic Studies from 2000-2001.

-From 2005-2009, he worked as first secretary, and then head of the international policies department of his country’s embassy in Paris.

-Appointed from 2013-2017, his country’s ambassador to Tunisia.

-Appointed from 2017-2021, his country’s ambassador to Muscat.

Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran Mojtaba Amani Hamedani:

-Holds a Master’s degree in International Studies from the University of Tehran in 2018.

-Fluent in Arabic, and conversant in English.

-Fluctuated in several administrative positions, as he was appointed Deputy Director of the Office of the Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1992-1994.

-Appointed as an expert in the Middle East and North Africa Department in his country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs from 1994-1995.

-Appointed deputy head of his country’s mission in Cairo from 1995-1999.

-Appointed as an expert at the Center for Political and International Studies in his country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs from 1999-2006.

-Worked as an assistant director general for the Center for Political and International Studies in his country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs from 2006-2009.

-Appointed head of his country’s mission in Cairo from 2009-2014.

-Worked at the Center for Political and International Studies in his country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs from 2014 until his appointment as his country’s ambassador to Lebanon.

Ambassador of Turkmenistan Muhammetgeldi AYAZOV:

- Born in 1979.

-Worked in a private tourism promotion company from 2001-2010.

-Fluctuated in public administrative positions, as he was appointed as a third secretary in the International Organizations Department of his country's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, from 2010-2012.

-Appointed second secretary, then first secretary, and then consul in his country’s embassy in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, from 2012-2016.

- Appointed from2017-2018, Head of the Protocol and Diplomacy Department in his country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

-From 2018 until today, he was appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of his country to Armenia.—Presidency Press Office 

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