President of the Republic, General Michel Aoun, opened the cabinet session by addressing the most-recent "achievement of approving the general budget for the year 2017; a step made for the first time since 2005," stressing the need "to accelerate the study and approval of the general budget for 2018."

"The second achievement lies in the issuance of judicial formations that included more than 532 judges, also for the first time since 1999," he said.

The President then tackled the issue of displaced Syrians and briefed the Cabinet on the meeting he held with ambassadors of the five permanent member States and representatives of the European Union, the Arab League and the United Nations, and the documented explanation he provided them with.

He accordingly called for activating the work of the Ministerial Committee on the displaced, and take additional measures to control the border.
"The repercussions of the crisis of displaced are worsening, and the meeting we held with those ambassadors aimed at mobilizing the international community and the United Nations to start addressing the crisis."

"Lebanon's best interest must be the basis in addressing the issue of the displaced. Our stance must be unified. We must not wait for a political or security solution in Syria. We ought to defend the interests of our country," Aoun said.

In turn, Prime Minister Saad Hariri said "addressing the issue of displaced persons will be the subject of follow-up during the next meeting of the Ministerial Committee, to study the working paper prepared in this framework."

"The burden of displacement weighs on the country's economic, social, educational, living and political life. It is important for us to shoulder this burden in a way that preserves the interests of Lebanon. I said it once, and I say it again: my slogan is Lebanon first and foremost."

Hariri praised the adoption of the Budget for 2017 and considered it "an achievement for Lebanon, the mandate and the government, added to other achievements made during the past months, such as the judicial and diplomatic formations and the election law, all for the benefit of the country

Source: NNA