President of the National Dialogue Party, MP Fouad Makhzoumi, accompanied by Political Adviser Carol Zouein, visited Maronite Patriarch Cardinal Mar Bechara Boutros Al-Rai at the Patriarchal See in Bkerke. They discussed the general situation in Lebanon and the region.

Makhzoumi said the visit was to congratulate His Beatitude on the Feast of Saint Maron, expressing his hope that the year would bring goodness, peace, stability, and security to the Lebanese people. He added: “We are visiting His Beatitude because he is a national authority who has consistently called for strengthening partnership and rejected any talk of one sect dominating another. We are a pluralistic country, and we must work together during this difficult period.” He stressed that Lebanon can only endure through partnership and that the region is heading toward settlements. “If we do not stand united, they will deal with us one by one,” he warned.

Commenting on developments in southern Lebanon, Makhzoumi said that the country was in a state of war in every sense of the word, expressing his sorrow over the loss of lives in the south. He stressed that protecting Lebanon requires all parties to fully implement United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701. He also emphasized that the government cannot relinquish its authority over decisions of war and peace to any party within Lebanon.

Makhzoumi also discussed the economic situation with His Beatitude, noting that Parliament had passed the budget after amendments were made following the vote. He announced that he was seriously considering challenging certain provisions of the budget that do not serve the Lebanese people. He questioned how the government could act in the interests of its partners and the ruling establishment rather than in the interests of citizens.

Makhzoumi also briefed His Beatitude on his upcoming visit to the United Kingdom next week, where he will be accompanied by the parliamentary delegation that previously visited six Western capitals. The purpose of the visit is to present a roadmap outlining a series of economic reforms required of Lebanon, along with the international community’s assistance needed to help the country recover and rebuild.