President Michel Aoun signed Decree No. 8877, dated February 28, 2022. The decree aims to refer the 2022 draft budget and supplementary budgets to the Parliament.


Prime Minister Najib Mikati and Finance Minister Youssef Khalil also signed the decree.


Former Minister Atallah:


The President met former Minister Ghassan Atallah and deliberated with him recent political developments.


The meeting also tackled establishing the Mega Center, where Atallah stated that the creation of such centers makes it easier for the Lebanese to carry out their electoral duties without bearing the hardship of moving from their places of residence to remote polling places. “This achieves a voter turnout especially in these difficult economic and financial conditions which Lebanon is witnessing” Atallah said.


Moreover, Minister Atallah informed President Aoun about the winning of two innovators from the Shouf region, Rachel Njeim from Maaser Al-Shouf and Hiba Rajha from Deir Dorit, the “L’Oreal-UNESCO for Women in Science” prize, the first for her research on the contribution of NETosis to kidney disease in diabetic patients, and the second for her research about raising the value of food waste by including the polyphenols contained in grape skins and their secondary particles encapsulation in various cosmetics.


President Aoun congratulated both Njeim and Rajha for their achievement, and praised the Lebanese energies both at home and abroad.


Delegation of the Choueiry Basilian Order:


President Aoun received the General President of the Basilian Choueiry Congregation, Archimandrite Bernard Touma, at the head of a delegation that included the Director General Father Dimitri Fayyad and the head of Saint Anthony Al-Qarqafi Monastery in Kfarshima Father Johnny Saadeh and Father Theodor Nasr.


MP Salim Aoun also attended the meeting.


During the meeting, the general conditions and the pastoral, social and humanitarian activities carried out by the Basilian Choueiry Congregation were presented to face the current economic conditions. The delegation also thanked President Aoun for his condolences on the death of the lamented Dean of the Order Archimandrite Semaan Abdel Ahad and granting him a high medal in appreciation of his contributions.


Family of the Late Sami Clark:


The President met a delegation from the family of the late artist Sami Clark in the presence of MP Elias Bou Saab.


The delegation included: Sami Clark’s wife, Stella Hobeika, his son, Sami Hobeika, his daughter, Sandra Hobeika Zeyoun, Dhour Chweir Mayor, Habib Moujaes, Nehme Moujaes, Samir Moujaes, Camille Nassar and Johnny Hobeika.


The delegation thanked President Aoun for sympathizing with the family and awarding late Sami Clark the National Cedar Order of the (Commander Rank) in appreciation of his artistic and cultural contributions.


For his part, the President reiterated his regret for the absence of Sami Clark, and noted the achievements he made in the artistic and cultural fields inside and outside Lebanon, in enriching the Lebanese Art Library with many songs, especially national ones, the result of which earned him several international awards that dedicated Lebanon’s presence in international and regional festivals.