President Suleiman hails Kuwait emir for support to Lebanon

Lebanese President Michel Suleiman on Thursday applauded the instructions of HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah which made possible the assistance granted to his country through Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development (KFAED). The comments were made in a speech he delivered on the occasion of an official ceremony marking the grand opening of a road carrying his name, the Kuwaiti state fund contributed to by 83percent. The occasion was attended by a host of local ministers and officials, including Lebanese Minister of Transport and Public Works Ghazi Aridi and Minister of Interior Marwan Charbel, along with KFAED Director General Abdulwahab Al-Bader. The introduction of the new road will serve much of the needs of people wishing to travel to and from the capital Beirut, the president enthused. He expressed delight at the decision for the road's carrying of his name, and for the instructions of HH the Amir to support the project as well as others across Lebanon. In spite of the state of internal and surrounding turmoil, development projects continue, he said, and growth rates are reasonable as estimates reveal them to be two percent this year, along with an annual national GDP of USD 10,000 which he regarded was good. The democratic system and the constitution of Lebanon are what safeguard security and stability, he said, and "the future of the nation and its generations require several matters like the easing of the government's formation, to pick off from where national dialogue meetings left off, the adoption of a new voting law, the application of administrative decentralization and management of public debts, the application of necessary legal and economic reforms and the careful resumption of the excavation of gas - so as not to harm other economic sectors such as agriculture and industry." For his part, Al-Bader noted that the KFAED attaches great importance to the eastern entrance into Beirut, as it is the focal land transport route to other Arab nations, as well as being important for trade. Kuwait also attaches great importance to development projects in Lebanon, he said, which alongside the transport sector, have included electricity, water and telecommunications, along with the social and cultural sectors. Only a day earlier, the KFAED laid the foundation for a dam project worth USD 21 million, it has contributed to by 81 percent.