The President met the Iraqi Health and Environment Minister. “We appreciate the Iraqi agreement to Lebanon’s request to provide it with crude oil, in exchange for medical services. I hope that a common market will be found among the Mashreq countries".

​President Aoun: 'We appreciate the Iraqi agreement to Lebanon's request to provide it with crude oil, in exchange for medical services. I hope that a common market will be found among the Mashreq countries, and I will resume this initiative'.

Minister Al-Tamimi: 'There is a tendency to support Lebanon, by the Iraqi government, in all fields'.

Minister Hassan stressed the need to reach a partial application of the principle of oil in exchange for medical services, with the support of the President.

President of the Republic, General Michel Aoun, affirmed his full readiness to facilitate the implementation of agreements signed between Lebanon and Iraq, and expressed his hope to reach a common market among Arab Mashreq countries, which he had always sought to achieve before the wars in region countries. The President also revealed that he would study the possibility of putting up his relevant initiative again.

President Aoun also expressed high appreciation for the efforts of the Iraqi government and its approval of Lebanon's request to provide it with crude oil in exchange for medical services, expressing his hope that the humanitarian economic cooperation between the Lebanese Ministry of Health and the Iraqi Oil Ministry, will be the beginning of a long-term cooperation which will be implemented in the near future, in the interest of both countries.

President Aoun's stances came while receiving the Iraqi Health and Environment Minister, Dr. Hassan Al-Tamimi, who was heading a delegation which included: head of the Arab Department in the Foreign Affairs Ministry, Dr. Osama Al-Rifai, Charge D'Affairs of the Iraqi Embassy to Lebanon, Mr. Amin Abdullah Al-Nasrawi, Administrative Undersecretary of the Health Ministry, Dr. Hani Musa Al-Uqabi, Health Ministry Advisor, Dr. Jawad Ibrahim, Zain El-Abdin Hospital Director, Professor Safaa Al-Husseini, and the Advisor of the Iraqi Embassy to Lebanon, Mr. Ahmed Jamal.

Attending the meeting on the Lebanese side were: Minister of Health, Dr. Hamad Hassan, former Minister, Salim Jreisatti, Adviser of the President for Health Affairs, Dr. Walid Khoury, Director General of the Presidency of the Republic, Dr. Antoine Choucair, Director of Arab Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, Ambassador Ali Al-Mawla, and advisors Rafic Shalala, Antoine Constantine and Osama Khashab.

At the beginning of the meeting, which dealt with bilateral relations and ways to enhance cooperation between Lebanon and Iraq, in addition to preparing for an agreement to supply Lebanon with crude oil in exchange for medical and health services, Minister Al-Tamimi thanked President Aoun for receiving the delegation and conveyed to him the greetings of the President of the Iraqi Republic, Barham Salih and Prime Minister, Mustafa Al-Kazemi. Minister Al-Tamimi also pointed out that his visit aims to support the Lebanese people in facing the Corona virus, in addition to discussing the files that support the efforts of Health Ministries to promote health in both countries and eliminate this pandemic, and some agreements signed by the two ministries and ways to activate them.

In addition, the Iraqi Minister expressed his happiness at framing the relationship on the health side with Lebanon, wishing that there would be other promising agreements in this field in light of the existing cooperation, pointing out that the Lebanese presence in Iraq is large and there are Lebanese medical teams in the public and private sectors and a lot of Lebanese workers in the fields of oil and tourism. 'The Iraqi government is very interested in our brothers in Lebanon, far from the humanitarian situation, Lebanon and Iraq are two brotherly countries, and the Lebanese people were exposed to an emergency situation after the port explosion, which greatly affected the Iraqi economy' Al Tamimi said.

Minister Al-Tamimi also stressed his aspiration to the future visit of Lebanese Minister of Health to Iraq, to implement bilateral agreements.

President Aoun:

For his part, the President welcomed the delegation and wished them success in their visit, also thanking the Iraqi government and people for their solidarity with Lebanon and for providing us with assistance after the Beirut Port explosion despite the difficult conditions which Lebanon passes through. President Aoun also conveyed his greetings to President Saleh and Premier Al-Kazemi.

In addition, President Aoun praised the brotherly relationship and friendship which link between Lebanon, Iraq and both peoples, pointing to the bonds of kindship between them, which extends throughout history. The President hoped that the delegation's visit aims at strengthening economic and humanitarian cooperation between the Lebanese Health Ministry and Iraqi Oil Ministry, and that it would be the beginning of a long-term cooperation which would happen in the near future, pointing to the talks he had held with Iraqi officials during the presidential visit to Iraq, considering that the obtained cooperation is the fruit of these talks.

Moreover, the President affirmed his full readiness to facilitate the implementation of agreements between both countries, expressing his hope to reach a common market between Mashreq countries, which he had always sought to achieve previously before the developments and wars in regional countries. The President also revealed that he would study the possibility of presenting this initiative again, and wished that the Iraqi minister would convey this issue to the Iraqi leadership.

On the other hand, President Aoun congratulated Iraq and its people on the success of the historic visit of His Holiness, Pope Francis, last month, considering it a victory for the principles of preserving religious, sectarian, cultural and pluralistic diversity in the region.

Expressing his high appreciation for the efforts of the Iraqi government and its approval of Lebanon's request to be provided with crude oil in exchange for Lebanese medical services, the President also hoped that the health agreement which the Parliament recently approved, in a law aimed at concluding the relevant treaty, will contribute to strengthening Lebanese-Iraqi cooperation.

Finally, the President hoped that there would be cooperation between Lebanon and Iraq in the Arab League and international forums, in order to encourage the safe return of the displaced Syrians to their lands.

Minister Hassan:

For his side, the Lebanese Health Minister, Dr. Hamad Hasan, greeted and thanked the delegation, the Iraqi leadership and the Iraqi people, stressing that 'This meeting carries with its dimensions the endorsement of the treaty which took place previously and in your era, and we have the honor today to complete the relevant agreement and find its implementation frameworks for a transient stage, God willing. We look forward with Minister Al Tamimi to take the foundations of this treaty and work to develop it at the level of medical services and exchange experiences'.

In addition, Minister Hasan highly appreciated the interest shown by the Iraqi leadership in supporting Lebanon 'In the difficult period which Lebanon passes through and which shows its negative consequences on the issue of energy production and other issues', wishing to reach, with the support of His Excellency the President, 'A practical application of the principle and the title of oil in exchange for medical services, which carry both the economic and humanitarian dimensions'.

Statement of Minister Hasan:

After the meeting, Minister Hasan made the following statement:

'We thank the President for his support for the framework of understanding which was issued under a Parliament law, two days ago. Today, it culminates in the visit of the Iraqi Health and Environment Minister, Dr. Hassan Al-Tamimi, our friend, and the accompanying delegation, in order to discuss the treaty which was approved in September 2019, which became a Parliament-approved law. Through the visit of the Iraqi Minister's visit, sessions, discussions and agreements, we aspire to formulate a later regulatory framework, so that the medical health agreement will be the first of what we aspire to in light of these complex conditions at the global level, especially what we are going through in Lebanon.

We would like to salute you for your humanitarian initiative and the gift which you have given to the Lebanese Health ministry, to help the Lebanese people. As you have indicated, the relationship is a history of brotherhood and friendship, and as His Excellency the President indicated today, we aspire to expand it to reach oil economic frameworks to an eastern market, with the support of His Excellency'.

Statement of Minister Al-Tamimi:

'We were honored, today, to meet with His Excellency President Aoun, at Baabda Palace. We conveyed the greetings of His Excellency the President of Iraq, Dr. Barham Salih, Prime Minister, Mustafa Al-Kazemi, the Iraqi government and the Iraqi people, to the brotherly people of Lebanon.

This visit was to support the efforts of the Lebanese Health Ministry, to confront Corona virus, as well as to support its efforts by providing aid and medical devices which contribute to reducing the effects of the pandemic on the brotherly people of Lebanon. The Iraqi-Lebanese agreement signed between the Iraqi and Lebanese Health ministries, was discussed within the framework of joint agreements to support the Iraqi and Lebanese medical sectors and the exchange of medical expertise, first to confront the pandemic and secondly in the field of providing full support to the two ministries through the expertise existing in the two countries, and the joint framework agreement which was emphasized by His Excellency the President, which must be implemented. There is an Iraqi government tendency to support the Lebanese brothers in all directions, including the field of great health cooperation.

We also agreed with the Health Minister, to form a joint working group. Work has already begun at the level of experts to implement this agreement, especially in benefiting from the experience of the Lebanese brothers in managing hospitals and in logistical support in matters of nursing and medical services. We have previous dealings with the Lebanese hospitals and a joint work exchange.

Today, the President of the Republic stressed the need to significantly activate these agreements, and praised the support of Iraq and its government. God willing, during the next two days there will be a movement by the Iraqi and Lebanese Health ministries to start implementing this agreement, especially since Iraq is witnessing today an urban movement in the field of health sector infrastructures through the creation of dozens of medical cities which will be in service.

I thank the Lebanese President, government and people for the warm reception. I would like to thank the President for the valuable remarks he made during the meeting, and I would also like to thank the Health minister.

God willing, the coming days will witness great cooperation in the health field, between both countries'.

Chinese Ambassador:

President Aoun received the Chinese Ambassador to Lebanon, Mr. Wang Qijan, on a farewell visit to mark the end of his diplomatic duties, which lasted for four years, in Lebanon.

The President thanked the Chinese Ambassador for the efforts he had exerted in promoting and developing Lebanese-Chinese relations, wishing Ambassador Qijan success in his new responsibilities at the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

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