Aoun receives greetings from Putin and stresses importance of relations with Russia... Salam: Palestinian camps under Lebanese sovereignty

Beirut - Mansour Shaaban: Former Russian Prime Minister Sergey Stepashin, who is visiting Lebanon to participate in the inauguration ceremony of the representation office of the Imperial Orthodox Palestine Society in Lebanon, conveyed to President of the Republic General Joseph Aoun “greetings from Russian President Vladimir Putin and greetings from Patriarch Kirill I of the Russian Orthodox Church,” praising the relations between the two countries and appreciating “President Aoun’s efforts and positions, particularly his statement that he is president of the Lebanese state, not of Muslims or Christians,” considering that “there are commonalities in pluralism between the two countries.”

Stepashin briefed President Aoun on the projects the Society intends to undertake, “particularly in the field of education and supporting Orthodox schools,” considering that “the opening of the representation office in Lebanon contributes to revitalizing relations of brotherhood and friendship, as well as religious visits and pilgrimages to holy sites between the two countries.”

President Aoun, during his reception of Stepashin at the head of a delegation from the Orthodox Church, accompanied by the Russian Ambassador to Lebanon Alexander Rodakov, who conveyed greetings from Russian President Vladimir Putin and greetings from Patriarch Kirill of the Russian Orthodox Church, welcomed him and the delegation, and invited him to convey his greetings to the Russian President. He appreciated “the steps taken by the Society towards the Orthodox community in Lebanon, which has a positive impact on both countries,” and welcomed any initiative “that strengthens relations at the political or religious levels,” pointing to “the positive role played by Russia in developing relations between the two countries.”

President Aoun, while receiving a delegation from the Holy Spirit University of Kaslik (USEK) headed by the university’s president, Father Professor Joseph Makarzel, following the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the General Directorate of the Presidency and USEK regarding the archiving of previous presidential mandates, stated that “USEK plays a distinctive educational, academic, and national role, which is not limited to preparing young generations with science and knowledge, but extends to contributing to preserving Lebanon’s cultural identity and its intellectual and historical heritage.” He added: “We highly appreciate the role played by the university library in safeguarding national memory through the rich and valuable archive it houses, which includes documents and records dating back to Lebanese presidents and prominent national figures, constituting a knowledge and historical wealth for current and future generations.”

President Aoun said: “Preserving this heritage is not merely a documentary effort, but a national responsibility that contributes to safeguarding Lebanon’s history and enhancing awareness of it, and underscores the importance of universities and their scientific and cultural institutions in building the future on the basis of knowledge and respect for national memory.”

Meanwhile, Maronite Patriarch Cardinal Bechara Boutros al-Rai emphasized, in front of a Kataeb delegation headed by MP Samy Gemayel, “the necessity of supporting the President of the Republic and preserving the position of the presidency in a manner that serves the supreme national interest.”

On another front, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam confirmed, during the launch of the consultation process on the “National Plan for the Governance of Palestinian Refugee Camps in Lebanon,” organized by the “Lebanese-Palestinian Dialogue Committee” under his patronage and in his presence, that “the government has begun cooperating with Palestinian leadership to address the issue of Palestinian weapons,” stressing that “the camps are subject to Lebanese sovereignty and laws,” and considering that “addressing the situation of Palestinian refugees in Lebanon requires a new approach.”

Regarding the file of Palestinian refugees, Salam stated that refugee camps in Lebanon are fully under Lebanese sovereignty, and he praised the efforts of partners to complete the work of the Lebanese-Palestinian Dialogue Committee on camp governance. Meanwhile, the Israeli Knesset elections and the rainy weather in Lebanon have not cooled the tensions along the southern front, with Friday preachers remaining a focal point of attention, reflecting caution and warnings about political tensions. Sheikh Dr. Bakr al-Rifai, Mufti of the Baalbek-Hermel district, said, “Fitna (sedition) is not always street clashes or armed fighting; it can begin with a misleading idea, rhetoric that incites hatred, temptations that weaken values, or authorities that exploit people’s weaknesses. True awareness lies in closing the doors to fitna before it becomes a reality that threatens individuals and society, and in recognizing that protecting ethics and rights is both an individual and institutional responsibility.”