Qahwaji Returns from Saudi Arabia: We'll Overcome Strange Developments Taking Place in Lebanon
Army Commander General Jean Qahwaji returned on Monday from a visit to Saudi Arabia that tackled the kingdom's military grant to Lebanon.
He said of the recent developments in Lebanon: “The strange incidents are a passing phase that we will overcome.”
He made his remarks during a reception thrown in his honor by members of the Lebanese diaspora in Saudi Arabia.
“We will overcome the phase through coexistence that has become a national symbol,” added Qahwaji.
“The army will continue to combat terrorism and it is in constant readiness to confront the Israeli enemy,” he stressed.
Moreover, the army chief noted that Lebanon is passing through a “critical stage due to the developments in the region and their impact on its political, economic, and security situations.”
“Despite these developments, the Lebanese people have preserved their unity and shunned factional divisions,” he said before the diaspora.
Earlier on Monday, Qahwaji had held talks on his trip to Saudi Arabia with President Michel Suleiman and caretaker Defense Minister Fayez Ghosn.
Suleiman had announced in December that Saudi Arabia has decided to donate three billion dollars with the aim of purchasing French weapons for the Lebanese army as soon as possible.
Qahwaji traveled to the kingdom on Friday where he met with a number of officials, including head of the Royal Diwan Sheikh Khalid bin Abdul Aziz al-Tuwaijri.
According to al-Joumhouria newspaper published on Monday, Qahwaji stressed to Saudi officials the needs of the army based on a detailed list drafted by senior military officers.
The army chief also traveled to France earlier in January for talks with top French military officials on the Saudi pledge.
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