1st Day in the Palace: Mikati Discusses Military, Finance

Local Editor

After Prime Minister Najib Mikati government received the vote of confidence at parliament Thursday, an official reception was held at the Grand Serail Friday morning in honor of the new PM.

PM's arrived at the Grand Serail on the sound of music played by the Internal Security Forces where the guards at the scene performed their formal salute.
Mikati was greeted by government Secretary General Suheil Bouji and a number of officials.

PM Mikati met the President of the Union of Lebanese Banks Joseph Tarabay accompanied by the President of the Union of Arab Banks Adnan Youssef, and discussed economic and financial conditions.
 
Tarabay pointed out that he had asked President Mikati to ensure the stability of financial situation in light of the last events in the Arab region.

Tarabay denied the validity of talks about money transferred from Syria to Lebanon, adding that "these rumors are aimed at destabilizing the financial relations between the two countries, and therefore they are false political news."
 
In response to a question by "al-Intiqad" reporter on "March 14's" call to boycott the Lebanese government, he stressed that "this assumption would affect the situation in Lebanon as a whole, particularly the banking sector."

On the other hand, Mikati received a delegation from the Lebanese Army Command congratulating for the government's trust, and informing him about the work in the military establishment.