President Michel Aoun on Wednesday received the Senior Adviser of the British Ministry of Defense for Middle Eastern Affairs, General John Lorimer, who assured the President of the continued British support for the Lebanese Army in equipment and training.

President Aoun informed the High Adviser for Middle East Defense in the British government, General Sir John Lorimer, that the consensual democracy, that the Lebanese have embraced in their political life, is the guarantor of national unity that can extricate Lebanon from the difficult circumstances which the country is passing by, politically and economically. 

President Aoun pointed out that parliamentary consultations, which will take place next Monday, constitute an entry point for the formation of the new Government, which is supposed to work to achieve necessary reforms approved by the previous Government, and to continue the anti-corruption process. A process which requires the cooperation of all parties with this Government in order to be able to accomplish the tasks required.

During the meeting, attended by Minister of State for Presidential Affairs, Salim Jreissati, and the delegation accompanying General Lorimer, President Aoun hailed the meeting of the "International Support Group" today in Paris, thanking the participating countries for the interest they have shown in Lebanon. The President also thanked the British Government for the support it provides to the Lebanese army, whether in the process of building watchtowers, or in training fields. 

General Lorimer, in turn, conveyed to President Aoun the interest of the British Government in the Lebanese situation, and its keenness to return political and economic stability, noting the leadership role of President Aoun in achieving this. In addition, Lorimer stressed that his country will continue to provide the necessary support to the Lebanese army to enable it to carry out national missions required, indicating Britain's desire to form a new Lebanese government to complete cooperation with the British government in all areas. 

President Aoun reassured the Lebanese that "Lebanon will recover from the current situation politically and economically", calling on all parties to realize the danger that is currently threatening Lebanon. 

President Aoun's words came during his reception of a delegation of women working, in cooperation with the "Lebanon Uprise" association, to serve the Lebanese community, and who launched the campaign "No to resettlement, no to integration, yes to the safe return of the displaced", under the slogan "We are not fanatical ... We want to return the displaced". 

Mrs. Dalia Dagher spoke about the activities carried out by women, especially regarding the return of the displaced Syrians to their country, and a dialogue took place between the women and the President of the Republic dealing with recent affairs. 

President Aoun affirmed, during the dialogue, that "Lebanon is going through a difficult stage as a result of the accumulations due to the debts it suffered under the shadow of an unproductive economy".

The President believed that the "Popular Movement" raises demands that he himself had previously demanded and worked to achieve through laws proposals he submitted to the House of Representatives, back when he was head of the "Reform and Change" parliamentary bloc, especially laws dealing with fighting corruption, lifting immunity and preventing tax smuggling. The President of the Republic said that he understood the demands of the demonstrators and invited them to dialogue repeatedly, but they did not respond.

Aoun also warned about the rumors that hit Lebanese society and worked to create chaos in it, especially by circulating the charge of corruption to all workers in public affairs without distinguishing between corrupt and non-corrupt. 

The President considered that this generalization had lost the confidence of the Lebanese citizens in their leaderships, as it negatively affected Lebanon's reputation abroad, stressing the need to understand the reality of attitudes, practices and performance, The President also considered that it is the young generation who makes the reform, provided that the real data are available to it.

The President reiterated the call to the Lebanese, to uncover the sources of corruption, in order to facilitate accountability.