President of the Republic, General Michel Aoun, met on Wednesday with Chief Advisor to the US State Department for energy security and the new mediator in the indirect negotiations to demarcate the southern maritime borders, Amos Hochstein, at the Presidential Palace.

US Ambassador to Lebanon, Dorothy Shea, also attended the meeting.

The course of negotiations to demarcate the southern maritime borders and the future directions of this issue were deliberated in the meeting.

President Aoun then met with head of the Saint Anthony Monastery and the Antonine Institute, Father Nader Nader.

Father Nader was heading a delegation of Antonine monks who conveyed to the President  congratulations on the formation of the new government. The delegation also invited President Aoun to attend the divine sacrifice on St. Michael’s Day, on November 8, and the feast of St. Anthony, next January 17.

In the meeting, Father Nader delivered the following speech:

“The harshness of the last days didn’t allow us to meet on St. Antony’s feast, nor on other occasions. However, your kindness never disappeared from our conscience and mind. You were always in the heart of our liturgy and prayers. We thank the Lord for everything he gave you from blessings and virtues. The Lord who helped you bear the cross of accusations, the arrows of evil which were aimed at you, and all the slanders which you were stoned with.

You endured all this with patience, so victory was on your side and a new government was formed, congratulations to you and to us.

As for now Mr. President, your adherence to the basic principles, role and powers of the President of the Republic, in addition to the strong means which help contribute to saving the country, land of holiness, remains the guarantee. Your adherence also remains a space of hope and peace which we want for all the Lebanese.

We raise our prayers with you, if circumstances allow, to meet around the feast of your patron St. Michael, and we will be more happy if you honor us as usual next January 17 on the feast of our patron, St. Anthony”.

For his part, the President thanked Father Nader for the passion he expressed, and stressed the old relationship which binds him to the Antonine Order, noting the role it had played in serving Lebanon at spiritual and national levels.

The President also explained the conditions which Lebanon is witnessing and the difficulties which faced the reform process launched, as well as the crises which have accumulated and brought the country to the current situation.

Finally, President Aoun asserted work to confront the current situation with faith, firmness and hope, so that Lebanon would gradually recover.