At Algeria summit, Mikati urges Arabs not to abandon Lebanon

Caretaker PM Najib Mikati on Wednesday urged the Arab nations to “rescue” Lebanon and not to “abandon it.”

“The Lebanon you know has changed. Yes, it has changed. The glowing beacon has been extinguished, the port that used to be considered the Orient’s gateway has exploded, and the airport that is considered a convergence platform is having its lights turned off due to fuel shortages,” Mikati said, in a speech before the 31st Arab Summit in Algeria.

“We are in a country that is suffering economically, socially and environmentally, and we are combating epidemics with the least of capabilities,” the PM added.

Apparently referring to Syrian and Palestinian refugees, Mikati warned that Lebanon “can no longer continue to host an Arab population that is now equivalent to half the Lebanese population.”

Hoping the Lebanese political parties will “agree on the election of a new president who would unify the Lebanese,” the PM said Lebanon “is still counting on the assistance of all Arab brothers.”

“Let the Arab hands come together to rescue my country Lebanon, which prides itself in Arabism and loves its brothers,” Mikati added.

He also stressed “full commitment” to the 1989 Taif Accord, emphasizing that he “will not tolerate any attempt to undermine it.”