Mikati holds various meetings today in Lebanon

Prime Minister Najib Mikati held a series of meetings at the Grand Serail Saturday with visitors ranging from civil society delegations to financial meetings with Representative of the European Commission Delegation. A delegation from the shareholders and depositors of cooperatives in Lebanon, headed by Mohammad Qassem, shared with Mikati the pressing need to form an Interim Committee to oversee execution of decree 109 which demanded the granting of 75 million Lebanese Pounds to said Coops. The PM promised that such a committee will be formed within a week from Eid el Fitr (end of holy month of Ramadan). A delegation from the civil society of Tripoli convened with Mikati, and shared urgent economic and social needs of the PM's hometown. Children's Cancer Center envoy also visited Mikati Saturday and invited him to their annual dinner September 8, to which Mikati promised to attend personally, if circumstances allowed it. Coalition of civic associations and charities in Lebanon, following up on the conditions of Syrian refugees, visited the Grand Serail as well. Mikati held Saturday morning an economic financial meeting with the participation of Economy and Trade minister Nicholas Nahass, Labour Minister Charbel Nahass, State Minister Marwan Kheir Dein, and Representative of the European Commission Delegation, Oliver Bridge. The meeting focused on utilizing EU donation of 150 million Euros in economic and democratic growth in Lebanon. In other news, Mikati asked Justice Minister Shakib Qortbawi to follow up reports by Time Magazine concerning one of the culprits in assassination of PM Rafik Hariri. Time held an exclusive, albeit anonymous, interview with one of the 4 culprits in the murder of Hariri. "I don't care about the indictments. Let them come to arrest me," the magazine quoted him saying.