The Supreme Defense Council on Thursday convened at 10:00a.m. at Baabda Palace, in a session chaired by President Michel Aoun.

The Council decided to submit an end to the Cabinet by extending public mobilization until Sunday 12th of April, 24:00h, and to submit a recommendation to form a ministerial committee tasked to follow-up the situation of Lebanese people abroad.

During the meeting, President Aoun stressed the importance of distinguishing between declaring public mobilization and declaring a state of emergency, which are based on legal texts and procedures in force.

In his turn, Prime Minister, Hassan Diab, stressed the need to reach a high rate of commitment to the taken measures, revealing that the conditions and sufferings of expatriates abroad are under study in all aspects, by the prevention committee, and the appropriate decision will be taken in this regard.

The meeting was attended by Prime Minister, Hassan Diab, Finance Minister, Ghazi Wazni, National Defense Minister, Zeina Akkar, Foreign Affairs Minister, Nassif Hitti, Interior and Municipalities Minister, Mohamed Fahmy, Economy and Trade Minister, Raoul Nehme, Public Works and Transport Minister, Michel Najjar, Health Minister, Dr. Hamad Hasan, and Justice Minister, Mary-Claude Najm.

Also attending the meeting were: Army Commander, General Joseph Aoun, General Director of General Security, Major General Abbas Ibrahim, Director General of the Internal Security Forces, Major General, Imad Othman, Director General of State Security, Major General, Tony Saliba, Secretary General of the Supreme Defense Council, Major General Mahmoud Al-Asmar, Government Commissioner to the Military Court, Judge Peter Germanos, Director of Lebanese Army Intelligence, Brigadier Tony Mansour, Director of the Information Branch at the General Directorate of General Security, Brigadier General Manh Sawaya, Head of Information Branch of the ISF, Brigadier Khaled Hammoud, Assistant Director General of State Security, Brigadier Samir Sannan, Legal Adviser to the Ministry of Defense, Former Minister Naji Al-Boustany, Director General of the Presidency, Dr. Antoine Choucair, and security and military advisor to the President, retired Brigadier Paul Matar.

After the meeting, Major General Al-Asmar, read the following statement:

"At the invitation of His Excellency, President Michel Aoun, the Supreme Defense Council convened at 10:00a.m., today at the Presidential Palace, to tackle latest developments and measures to limit the spread of Corona Virus. The meeting was attended by the Prime Minister, and Ministers of: national Defense, Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, Interior and Municipalities, Economy and Trade, Justice, Public Works and Transportation, and Public Health.

Army Commander, General Joseph Aoun, General Director of the Presidency, Director General of General Security, Director General of the Internal Security Forces, Director General of State Security, Secretary General of the Supreme Defense Council, Security and Military Adviser to the Lebanese President, Government Commissioner to the Military Court, Director of Army Intelligence, Director of Information Branch of the General Directorate of General Security, head of the Information Branch of the Internal Security Forces, Assistant Director General of State Security, and Former Minister and Defense Ministry Counselor, lawyer Naji Al-Bustani, also attended the meeting.

His Excellency, the President, started with a brief presentation on the measures taken in the framework of controlling Corona Virus, and stressed the importance of distinguishing between declaring a state of public mobilization and a state of emergency, which are based on legal texts and procedures in force.

Afterwards, the Prime Minister discussed the importance of reaching a high rate of commitment, and praised the measures and procedures taken by the Military and Security apparatuses. PM Diab briefed the attendees on the recommendation issued by the committee to follow up on measures in preventing Corona Virus, which stipulated an extension in the period of public mobilization, until 12/4/2020.

In addition, the Public Health Minister also presented healthcare and hospital conditions, and stressed the need to commit to staying at homes and preventing social gatherings because of its benefit in controlling Corona Virus spread.

The Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Minister, and the Director General of General Security discussed the conditions and suffering of expatriates who live abroad, and the Prime Minister stated that this issue is being studied in all aspects, by the Prevention Committee, and appropriate decisions will be taken in this regard.

Afterwards, heads of Military and Security apparatuses presented available information about the epidemic and ways to deal with it.

After deliberation and listening to competent Ministers as well as head of Security apparatuses regarding the situation since the announcement of general mobilization, on 15/3/2020 till today.

In the context of follow-up on confronting this danger through public mobilization, which is provided for in Article 2 of Legislative Decree No. 102/1983 (National Defense) with the plans and specific provisions that this article addresses, in addition to measures and procedures taken previously by the Cabinet in previous meetings, the Supreme Defense Council decided to submit an end to the Cabinet which includes:

1- Extending public mobilization, announced by Decree No.6198/2020, until Sunday April 12, 2020, at 24:00h.

2- Emphasizing the activation and implementation of the measures and procedures imposed by Decree No.6198/2020, and Resolution No.49/2020 of 21/3/2020 issued by the Prime Minister "Implementation Instructions by Decree No.6198/2020" with deterrent hardening from all Military and Security apparatuses, in suppressing violations, leading to halting the Virus spread.

The Supreme Defense Council also submitted a recommendation to the Cabinet, to form a Ministerial Committee tasked to follow-up the situation with the Lebanese people abroad".