By Hisham Ibrahim, Sanaa Allam

Egyptian Trade and Industry Minister Tarek Qabil met Tuesday with Lebanese Agriculture Minister Ghazi Zoaiter to discuss means of mutual cooperation in agriculture and trade fields. During
the meeting, Minister Zoaiter announced that Lebanon is the 13th
largest investor in Egypt since Lebanese investments in the Egyptian
market worth US$2.8 billion. These investments are injected into 1,342
projects in fields of agriculture and textiles in addition to chemical,
electrical, and paper industries.

Zoaiter met with the Egyptian minister during his first official visit to Cairo after forming the new Lebanese government. The
Egyptian Minister emphasised on government’s keenness to deepen
economic cooperation with Lebanon and raising joint trade rates and
investments within the upcoming period. Both sides agreed on removing all obstacles facing trade flow between Egypt and Lebanon.

“Lebanon
is the gate for Egyptian exports to enter Africa among ‘Egypt- Lebanon
to Africa’ Initiative”, Qabil added, clarifying that Egyptian exports to
Lebanon rose by 65 percent in 2016. Egypt’s building materials
sector was the largest exporter to Lebanon since its exports recorded
US$277 million in 2016, making a 225 percent increase, the minister
noted.

He pointed out that Egypt’s exports of potatoes are expected to rise to 60,000 tonnes in 2017 from 50,000 tonnes in 2016. During
the meeting, Qabil discussed the Lebanese suggestion to pay the value
of Lebanese apple imports to Egypt with the Egyptian pound

HH the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani holding talks with the
Lebanese President General Michel Aoun at the Emiri Diwan yesterday. The
talks were attended by HH the Deputy Emir Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad
al-Thani and HE the Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh
Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa al-Thani.

From yalibnan.com, dailystar.com.lb and gulf news

President Michel Aoun  landed
in Doha Wednesday accompanied by an eight-minister delegation in
his second and last stop on a tour of Gulf countries to meet with the
Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamid al-Thani and top officials . 
The emir of Qatar Wednesday praised the election of President Michel
Aoun as the “best choice” for Lebanon, saying the country has entered a
new stage following the end of the 29-month presidential vacuum. The Emir of Qatar vowed  to follow up on the case of the nine abducted Lebanese soldiers following his talks with President  Aoun Nine Lebanese soldiers  and policemen have been held captive since
 (ISIS), along with Jabhat Fatah al-Sham – formerly the Al-Qaeda-linked
Nusra Front – briefly overran the northeast border town of Arsal in
August 2014. More than 30 soldiers and policemen were initially captured, but most
were released. Some were killed in captivity, however, and nine  are
still being held by ISIS. As well as the case of the nine
Lebanese servicemen held by Daesh since Aug. 2014, the talks also
included the case of Greek Orthodox Archbishop Boulos Yazigi and Syriac
Orthodox Archbishop Yohanna Ibrahim who were abducted in April 2013 by
armed men while travelling from the Turkish border to Aleppo. Aoun also
raised the case of Lebanese cameraman Samir Kassab, who was kidnapped by
gunmen while working near Aleppo on assignment for the U.K’s Sky News
channel in Oct. 2013.

During the session, regional and international issues, including the developments in the Middle East, were discussed. They also reviewed bilateral relations between Qatar and Lebanon and ways of enhancing them in all fields. The two sides agreed to activate the higher joint committee between the
two countries, and to promote economic and investment co-operation for
the benefit of both sides. Earlier, on arrival the Lebanese President was accorded an official reception ceremony at the Emiri Diwan. Following the official talks, HH the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad
al-Thani hosted a luncheon banquet in honour of President Michel Aoun
and the delegation accompanying him.

Aoun’s two-day official visit to Doha came at the invitation of the emir, with whom he met personally  after his arrival. The emir expressed optimism over Aoun’s  election  as Lebanon’s 13th president, describing him as “the best choice.” The meeting addressed means to promote bilateral ties between the two countries. Sheikh Tamim also praised the efforts exerted by Lebanese security
agencies to preserve stability in Lebanon, which “would encourage
Qataris to visit Lebanon during the holidays.” He also expressed his country’s readiness to contribute to
development projects in Lebanon and to encourage investment in the
country.

Aoun discussed the security situation in Lebanon, reiterating that
preemptive strikes by the Lebanese Army and security agencies have
averted terror plots in the country. After the meeting, the Lebanese delegation and their Qatari
counterparts held bilateral talks to discuss matters of common interest
and means of exchanging expertise.

Syrian civil war 

The emir of Qatar also discussed the conflict in Syria with Aoun, reiterating his country’s utter rejection of President Bashar Assad’s government, according to media reports Aoun, who is allied with Assad’s ally Hezbollah said that only a
political solution could resolve the conflict in the neighboring
country. He said he was anticipating the Syria talks in Astana to be a success, stressing that “wars cannot be resolved by arms.” “The intervention of [foreign] states are preventing Syrians from agreeing among each other.” The emir said that Lebanon and Qatar have similar viewpoints concerning the matter.

The 74th Golden Globe Awards took place yesterday in LA, and it’s fair to say another kind of LA dominated the night. Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone’s La La Land won every award it
was up for (including best actor and actress nods for the pair) but when
it came to the red carpet, many stars were looking further afield for
sartorial expertise. And there’s one country in particular that seems to be churning out kings and queens of couture faster than any other. Reams of celebrities plumped for show-stopping gowns from Lebanese
designers at the awards, with lashings of lace, tonnes of tulle and
gemstones galore from labels including Zuhair Murad and Elie Saab.

Articles compiled from Al Arabiya , AlJazeea, Naharnet and Gulfnews

The Lebanese president arrived in Saudi Arabia on
Monday for a two-day official visit. Aoun also said that internal wars
only end through political solutions and voiced the importance of
cooperation to combat terrorism. “We all need to cooperate to
fight terrorism. We need to cooperate with Saudi Arabia and with all
countries because terrorism is no longer limited to Middle Eastern
countries but it’s now across the entire world,” he told Al-Ekhbariya.

Addressing the Lebanese situation, Aoun said balances in Lebanon will
strengthen each day, noting however that Lebanon bears the burden of the
influx of Syrian refugees led to increasing the population during a
short period of time thus resulting in huge financial burdens.

On restoring a $3-billion military aid package that Riyadh froze last year, a Lebanese source told AFP on Tuesday: “The blockage is lifted,” said an official in the
delegation of President Michel Aoun, who held talks in the Saudi capital
with King Salman earlier in the day. “It’s finished. There is truly a change. But when and
how, we have to wait to see,” the official said, adding “a new page” had
been turned and the aid was “going to move.” The king’s son, the powerful Defense Minister and Deputy
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, will discuss with his Lebanese
counterpart how to move forward with the package, said the official, who
asked for anonymity. However, other sources from the Lebanese delegation downplayed the official’s remarks. “The issue of the Saudi grant was discussed but no
decision has yet been taken to unblock the aid,” LBCI television quoted
the sources as saying.

Later on Tuesday, Lebanon’s National News Agency said
Aoun asked the king for “continued support for the army in the face of
terrorism and the other security challenges, including the issue of the
grant.” “The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin
Abdul Aziz, said he will follow up on the issue with the competent
ministers,” NNA added. “Aoun also invited King Salman to visit Lebanon and the
issue of Saudi flights will be addressed in a positive manner,” the
agency said. The president “considers that a new chapter of
Lebanese-Saudi ties has been launched and that the relations have
returned to normal,” NNA added, noting that Aoun “heard from King Salman
what confirms this.” Earlier during the day, Aoun met at his place of
residence in Riyadh, Saudi Minister of Commerce and Investment Majid bin
Abdullah bin Othman el-Qasabi who assured that Saudi nationals will
resume trips to Lebanon shortly, the state-run National News Agency
reported. After his meeting with the Lebanese President, el-Qasabi
said: “Saudi nationals are likely to resume trips to Lebanon, and I
will be at the forefront,” NNA said. Earlier, Aoun met with Saudi Culture Minister Adel Bin Zaid al-Tarifi.

Aoun
voiced hope that the crisis in Syria will be resolved peacefully and
politically because refugees will thus be allowed to return to Syria and
rebuild it. A statement issued by Aoun’s press office Monday said that
his Riyadh trip was at the invitation of Saudi Arabia’s King Salman.
Among
the topics sources say we will be discussed is the normalization of
political and economic relations between the two countries, including
the lifting of a travel ban on Saudi citizens visiting the country.
Another issue to be discussed will be the restoration of Saudi
assistance to Lebanese military, which was halted in February last year. Aoun’s tour will then continue on his Gulf tour when he is scheduled to visit Qatar on Wednesday.

Ministerial meetings

Minister
of Culture and Information Adel bin Zaid Altoraifi met Lebanese
Minister of Information Melhem Riashy. During the meeting, they
discussed bilateral relations between the two countries and topics of
common interest. Also, Minister of
Commerce and Investment Dr. Majed bin Abdullah Al-Qasabi received at
King Saud palace here today the visiting Lebanese Minister of Economy
and Trade Raed Khoury. During the meeting,
they discussed investment opportunities between the two countries,
especially in the field of agriculture and the development of food
industry.

President Michel Aoun traveled Monday to Saudi Arabia on his first foreign trip since taking office, starting an Arab tour that will also take him to Qatar and Egypt. Aoun had received an official invitation to visit the kingdom from Saudi King Salman bin Abdul Aziz He is accompanied by a large ministerial delegation comprising the ministers Jebran Bassil (foreign affairs), Marwan Hamadeh (education), Ali Hassan Khalil (finance), Yaaqoub al-Sarraf (defense), Nouhad al-Mashnouq (interior), Pierre Raffoul (presidency affairs), Melhem Riachi (information) and Raed Khoury (economy). Lebanon’s ambassador to the kingdom Abdul Sattar Issa will join the delegation upon its arrival.

Aoun’s visit to Riyadh on Monday – the first in a series of stops in neighbouring countries – is expected to focus on reviving tourism in Lebanon and restoring military cooperation between the two countries. The Saudi government suspended nearly $4bn in arms support to Lebanon last year, as well as issuing a travel advisory to its citizens against going to Lebanon. One of Lebanon’s most important financial sectors, tourism generated less than $4bn for the country last year, compared to $8.4bn in 2010 – with visitors from neighbouring Arab countries, especially Saudi Arabia, having dropped significantly. The Saudi government took the measures against Lebanon because it said the country had failed to condemn what it considered to be attacks on its diplomatic missions in Iran in January 2016. The protests in Tehran at the Saudi embassy followed the execution of 47 people, including the Shia Muslim leader, Nimr al-Nimr, in Saudi Arabia.  Saudi Arabia subsequently cut off diplomatic ties with Iran, and cooled relations with Lebanon, where Hezbollah, a Shia Muslim political and social movement that is politically allied with Iran, enjoys significant influence.

Despite that, Hezbollah – with which Aoun is allied – has welcomed the president’s trip to Riyadh.  “Hezbollah has said that President Aoun should go to Saudi Arabia,” Louis Hobeika, a political analyst, said. “They understand perfectly – after all, Hezbollah people are Lebanese – and they know that if the Lebanese economy functions well, Hezbollah and the population of Hezbollah will benefit too … And in my view they are interested in that visit.” Aoun was elected president in October 2016 after the country’s top official political post was left vacant for more than two years.  The country was without a head of state for 29 months due to political infighting that prevented a quorum from forming in parliament. Following his trip to Saudi Arabia, Aoun is also expected to visit Qatar.