President Michel Aoun meeting with the Maronite Foundation in the World

President Michel Aoun met with a delegation from the new board of the Maronite Foundation in the World. The delegation was headed by the foundation’s president, Charles G. Hage, and in the presence of MP Neemat Frem, the honorary leader of the foundation.

During the meeting, Aoun stressed that Lebanon is “working hard to overcome obstacles and avoid risks” facing the country. “We will continue to carry out the required financial and economic reforms,” the president added.

As for the security and political stability enjoyed by Lebanon, Aoun credited this with “a result of local ambitions.”

However, Aoun emphasized "we have to help ourselves by making reforms and corrective financial measure that will reflect positively, despite much talk on the contrary [about the financial situation]."
Dispelling fears of an economic downturn, Aoun told his visitors: “I want to assure everybody that all the deposits will be paid in full as well as the bonds and the interest on them.”

Also in the meeting, Frem hailed the efforts exerted by the president to address the many problems facing Lebanon. "This would positively affect not only Lebanese residents, but also the Lebanese diaspora," Frem said.

For his part, Hage thanked Aoun for all his hard work and working for “Lebanon to be a center for dialogue of civilizations and cultures.”

Hage lauded this idea and told Aoun that the foundation stands ready to help this idea materialize. “This will go beyond just benefitting Lebanon. It will allow societies to address multilateralism and develop a formula that guarantees the right to exist and be different without fearing discrimination based of beliefs,” Hage said in his speech.

The Foundation’s president went on to address the registered Lebanese births in the diaspora last year. “The outcome of the past year in registering Lebanese births across the world in Lebanese diplomatic missions – although not at the level of your and our aspirations – shows an evolution in the Lebanese expats in response to calls to register at our newly established offices, in cooperation with embassies and consulates.”

Looking forward, Hage said he hopes to develop the foundation’s efforts, “always in coordination with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, so that the fruits bared next year will be more productive."
Responding to Hage, Aoun highlighted his careful attention to the work being carried out by the foundation, stressing the importance of its work, and the role it has played with the Lebanese diaspora, “especially with the younger generation in order to [strengthen] their relations with their homeland.”