What they said نواف ×

There is no economy capable of rising without reform, trust and accountability; no sustainable reconstruction without security and stability; no firm stability without a state that alone holds the decision of war and peace; and no capable state without effective institutions

The Lebanese have paid heavy prices for successive wars and crises. They lost lives, livelihoods, homes and savings, and many of our youth lost confidence in their ability to build their future in their homeland

We are working on interconnected tracks

Resilience preserves what remains, while a renaissance creates what did not exist.

We have the right to be proud of what Beirut once was, but we do not have the right to settle for that.

Technology can put millions of pieces of information at our fingertips, but it does not relieve us of the responsibility to think, and it cannot replace the human conscience and the creative imagination.

The pursuit has begun of companies evading value-added tax payment, and for that purpose the Ministry of Finance has sent warnings to 107 companies, with files still being followed up, involving amounts estimated between $200 and $250 million.

That does not mean we have enough surplus to meet all the legitimate needs of citizens.

The Lebanese economy achieved growth of 4.2% last year, and that was the beginning of a recovery and an opportunity to build on, but the war imposed on Lebanon halted this path and set us back.

All that is attributed to President Salam about criticizing the Lebanese Army leadership during his meetings in Washington is baseless.

Since the return of Prime Minister Nawaf Salam from Washington to Beirut, some media and political machines have been active in spreading rumors and sowing poison among the Lebanese, by fabricating positions and attributing statements to President Salam that he did not make, in a blatant attempt to incite disputes between him and other Lebanese parties, especially the military institution, Banque du Liban, and Intra Investment Company.

He did not say in Washington what he would not say in Beirut

The Lebanese Army's performance in implementing the agreement cannot be judged before a verification mechanism is put in place

The 1926 Constitution was drafted during the mandate, and its authors clearly benefited from French constitutional traditions, especially the parliamentary system of the Third Republic: separation of powers, ministerial responsibility, the role of parliament, and guaranteeing public freedoms. Principles at the heart of French liberal thought also entered the text: freedom of conscience, freedom of opinion, freedom of assembly, and equality before the law. But contrary to what some believe, Lebanon did not import a ready-made constitution. It took from the French experience and added its own experience. Here precisely appears the specificity of our constitution. From the beginning it had to answer a very difficult question: How do we build a modern state in a society of multiple sects and affiliations?

We will not allow some generator owners, traders, or importers to exploit what is happening to make profits at the expense of the people. We have asked the Consumer Protection Directorate to intensify oversight, adhere to the official pricing for generators, and activate violation reports.

Our responsibility is to alleviate the burdens on citizens. Last year, the Lebanese economy achieved 4.2% growth, but the war halted this path, and the contraction is estimated at 6.4% this year.

Economic pressure affects the employee, the retiree, the military, the teacher, and the stakeholder, and you have the right to ask the government what it is doing?

More than one million people were displaced at the peak of the last war, 250,000 of them are still displaced, while the residents of more than 75 villages and towns are still unable to return to their homes and livelihoods

Certainly more than $20 billion, and their total cost may exceed $27 billion when the calculation of the 2026 war is completed

Dialogue between me and everyone is not cut off. There are things we agreed on, and what is required today is to implement them. National unity is embodied in implementing what we agreed on

The state cannot remain in a state of waiting. We must head to the south and to all regions, and bear our responsibilities

Our goal is the complete Israeli withdrawal from Lebanese territory, and wherever the state is able to be present, it must be present.

Gibran Bassil continues to export lies, and his ambition for the presidency undermined an internal front that Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah worked for, one who later refrained from meeting him or communicating with him

We came to emphasize the importance of the return of state institutions, especially the security ones, but security alone is not enough and people need the return of basic services.

I want to salute the officers and members of General Security for all the efforts they have made and are still making, and for their presence here alongside the people and in their service, despite all these difficult circumstances.

Our mere presence here, and the return of the General Security center to work, constitute a big message: this is Lebanese land, we are committed to it and steadfast in it, and state institutions will remain present in it whatever the difficulties.

We came to emphasize the importance of the return of state institutions, especially the security ones, but security alone is not enough; people need basic services to return.

They must be removed.

I am here today to affirm the return of state institutions to work. They are an essential part of bringing life back to this dear city, and they will serve to support the resilience of its good people and consolidate their stay on their land.

We still need major funding. But I want you to trust that we are striving, and will continue to strive, to secure everything we can to uplift the south.