Miqati Chairs Meeting on Border Measures, Economic Ties with Gulf

Prime Minister Najib Miqati on Monday presided over a broad meeting aimed at following up on the issue of tightening border control and resolving the latest disputes with Saudi Arabia and the Gulf countries.

The meeting was attended by the ministers of defense, interior, foreign affairs, agriculture and industry, and the heads of Customs, Economic Committees, Association of Lebanese Industrialists, Beirut Traders Association, Union of Lebanese-Gulf Businessmen Councils.

“We met today at PM Miqati’s invitation to follow up on the issue of resolving the disputes that concern the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Arab Gulf countries,” Interior Minister Bassam al-Mawlawi said after the talks.

“We are required to take fast and practical measures that prove that the government is carrying out its duties in controlling the border, the airport, the port and all border crossings,” the minister added.

“We should reach a result to curb the smuggling that is taking place from Lebanon, and as interior minister, I have stressed that several (smuggling) operations will be exposed soon,” Mawlawi went on to say, noting that an attempt to smuggle Captagon pills was thwarted on Sunday and that the culprits were arrested.

France's president and Saudi Arabia's crown prince had held a joint phone call with Miqati during Emmanuel Macron's visit to the kingdom on Saturday, in a significant gesture amid an unprecedented crisis between Lebanon and Saudi Arabia.