In an interview with state-run news agency MENA, Lebanese Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri said that he called on President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to take part in training the Lebanese army; a request to which Sisi responded favorably during their meeting at the presidential palace on Wednesday. Hariri praised Sisi’s understanding of the difficult situation in Lebanon in the presence of around 1.5 million Syrians, among them many Christian families, in addition to the Israeli daily threats. At the meeting, the two statesmen tackled widening bilateral cooperation in all fields, as well as recent developments in Arab countries. “We also addressed the situation in the region especially the Syrian crisis and its consequences, and regional intervention from other countries. “My presence in both Al-Azhar and the Coptic church stresses that we should maintain our coexistence,” he added.

Source: Egypt Independent March 23, 2017 15:33 UTC