Beirut: Caretaker Prime Minister, Najib Mikati, on Wednesday convened a series of meetings at the Grand Serail, addressing national crises and diplomatic concerns. Mikati welcomed Turkish Ambassador to Lebanon, Ali Baris Ulusoy, discussing Lebanon’s challenges, regional issues, and bilateral ties. Mikati also met with Environment Minister, Nasser Yassin, to review the work of the ministerial emergency committee amid Lebanon’s escalating crises, including refugee issues. Moreover, Mikati consulted with Justice Minister, Henry Khoury, on ministry affairs.
According to National News Agency – Lebanon, joined by MPs Najat Aoun and Melhem Khalaf, Mikati discussed Lebanon’s crisis response. Aoun decried ‘the devastation, fires, and methodical crimes perpetrated daily before the world’ and emphasized Lebanon’s resolve to prosecute arsonists. ‘We must protect every tree in this country,’ she asserted, urging the implementation of a 2023 order directing ministries to activate fire-prevention measures. She announced up
coming measures to safeguard affected areas from exploitation, including fencing off burned zones.
MP Khalaf also underscored the urgent need for shelter for displaced families. He revealed that a second facility will open to house 400 individuals. Khalaf lauded the Beirut municipality’s round-the-clock efforts, directed by Governor Marwan Abboud, as exemplary. Legal follow-up on environmental crimes was pledged by attorney Shukri Haddad, while MP Karim Kabbara and Council for Development and Reconstruction head, Nabil Jisr, discussed broader municipal and development concerns for Tripoli.