NNA – Maronite Patriarch, Cardinal Bechara Boutros al-Rahi, hoped Saturday for having a new president of the republic, a new government and restoring the beauty and good reputation of Lebanon. His words came during his visit today to the “Badr Hassoun” environmental village, accompanied by the Caretaker Minister of Economy Amin Salam, where they laid the foundation stone for the “Valley of Feelings” project in the village’s “Khan Al-Saboun” – Dahr El-Ain El-Koura district, in the presence of the President of the Chamber of Commerce, Agriculture and Industry in the North, Toufic al-Daboussi, alongside a number of mayors and security and military leaders and economists from the region.

The Patriarch commended the Hassoun family’s tremendous efforts, saying: “I am very happy to be with the Minister of Economy and the President of the Chamber of Commerce in Tripoli and all the honorable and dear faces present today…We are in Khan Al-Tuyyub, the human nature, the kindness of love that is evident through every work you do…This is our second visit because of the importance of this place and our pride in its historical achievements that have gone beyond Lebanon to the whole world.” “We hope that Lebanon will come out of this shameful stage, for it does not represent the real Lebanon, the Lebanon of giving and the beautiful fragrance, Lebanon that is creative and generous…,” the Patriarch went on. “Through you, we hope to restore our role in the world, and we hope that a president will be elected and a new government will be formed, and that Lebanon will restore its beauty and proud name in the world, and we are sure that we will overcome the ordeal and the dark clouds,” al-Rahi reassured. He concluded: “Our wealth is in our minds, thoughts and creativity, and this is a testimony we have heard from the five continents…During our encounters, everyone asserts that the Lebanese people are creative, Muslims and Christians.”