Miqati Stresses Dialogue to Consolidate Unity, Confirms Security Situation ‘Under Control’
Prime Minister Najib Miqati stressed on Thursday that the cabinet is working on reviving the dialogue among the Lebanese political foes in order to consolidate the national unity.
“The cabinet is prioritizing the national dialogue,” Miqati said at the opening of the Lebanese Economic Forum held at the Coral Beach Hotel in Beirut.
He stressed that Lebanon “can’t risk its stability” considering that the security situation is “under control.”
“Lebanon is carefully watching the developments in the Arab world as comprehensive peace is the main key for stability in the region,” Miqati said.
Addressing business leaders, the PM said that the Lebanese economy “proved it is able to overcome all the obstacles,” noting that it was able to safeguard itself amid the economic turmoil in the world.
He also promised to lure investors to Lebanon.
Miqati said that the state budget was referred to the cabinet, confirming that the government will not impose new taxes on the citizens.
“The imports this year cover the spending ... but there can be no spending without imports in order to preserve the economic stability,” Miqati said.
The Premier stressed that the cabinet is “seeking to safeguard Lebanon and maintain the Arabs’ trust in order to preserve the banking sector’s good reputation.”
In October, the International Monetary Fund said it has revised down its forecast for economic growth in Lebanon to 1.5 percent in 2011 after many years of robust expansion, due to political uncertainty and unrest in neighboring Syria.
Lebanon staggers under a public debt of more than 53 billion dollars (38 billion euros), equivalent to around 135 percent of the country's GDP.
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