September 17, 2004

AL-HARIRI RECEIVES IN BARCELONA THE UN-HABITAT SCROLL OF HONOUR FOR HIS WORK IN THE POST-CONFLICT RECONSTRUCTION OF LEBANON. LEBANON IS NOT ISOLATED AND WE CAN SOLVE OUR PROBLEMS THROUGH DIALOGUE AND SUPPORT FROM OUR FRIENDS. MERVAT TALLAWY: THIS IS A STORY OF INVESTING IN PEACE, POLITICAL RESOLUTION AND DEVELOPMENT, LED BY A MAN WHO TURNED DEVASTATION INTO A MODERN CITY, A DESTINATION FOR ALL. Prime Minister Rafic Hariri hailed the sacrifices of the Lebanese and called for Middle East peace, at a special ceremony in Barcelona, where he received a Special Citation of the UN-HABITAT Scroll of Honour for his work in the post-conflict reconstruction of Lebanon. Mr. Hariri received the prestigious award from UN-HABITAT's Executive Director Anna Tibaijuka. He paid tribute to the United Nations. The event was part of the opening ceremony of the World Urban Forum in the Spanish city and was attended by top international and UN figures, including ex-Presidents Mr. Mikhail Gorbachev of the former USSR and Mr. Martti Ahtisaari of Finland. The Secretary-General of the United Nations was represented by Mrs. Mervat Tallaway, Under-Secretary General and Executive Secretary for ESCWA. In his speech, which followed a video that showcased the achievements of post war Lebanon, Prime Minister Hariri thanked his family for the support and the encouragement that it showed "during these long years of official and public life." He told the gathering that the award also belonged to the Lebanese and to "Lebanon's Arab brothers and friends who believed in Lebanon during the darkest hours," citing Syria's role in bringing stability, and the backing of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and all Arab states, as well as France and other European countries for their support of Lebanon's message, which he stressed is about "protecting the oldest democracy in the Arab world," and the country's commitment to peace. Premier Hariri explained that Lebanon faced major challenges in its reconstruction process, but "our determination and will were bigger," but the country still has "to do a lot to make development as balanced as it should be." Addressing Middle East tensions, Mr. Hariri said Arabs are currently in despair due to occupation of their land. He called for peace and independence in Iraq and the creation of an independent Palestinian state. "We are a people who believe deeply in peace, tolerance and justice, and we would love to live in peace for our children and grandchildren, and for Israel's children and grandchildren," Mr. Hariri said. The Prime Minister also praised the United Nations, saying it embodies aspirations for liberation, equality, development, security and peace. "The United Nations by granting this award to Lebanon means that the door of this organization will always be open to countries that seek to improve its life and the lives of its people," Premier Hariri said and called on all countries of the world to work for peace. The Special Citation by UN-HABITAT recognizes the challenges of post-conflict reconstruction. According to the panel of judges who arrived at the decision to name the Premier, the award to Prime Minister Rafic Hariri and to the people of Lebanon, goes to underscore the challenge of promoting a culture of peace and reconciliation that is critical to solve the many conflicts afflicting many parts of the world'. It said the award is meant to encourage this "shining example". The UN Habitat's Mrs. Tibaijuka, delivered UN Secretary General Kofi Annan's speech. "After years of physical and human devastation, rebuilding and rehabilitating that country needed and outstanding leader with exceptional vision. Yes, a leader with love and commitment to the wellbeing of all his people and willing to make the sacrifice required to bring a torn society together again and promote a culture of peace and prosperity the mission of the UN," she read. For her part, ESCWA's top official, Mrs Mervat Tallawy, in a speech addressing Premier Hariri, said "This is a story of investing in peace, political resolution and development, led by a man who turned devastation into a modern city, a destination for all. This is Prime Minister Rafic Hariri whom we salute and wish all success in his ongoing efforts." Prime Minister Rafic Hariri reaffirmed Lebanon's commitment to peace in the Middle East and told a news conference in Barcelona that the country paid a "very high price" for its 1975-1990 war. He was speaking following the ceremony in which he was awarded the 2004 Special Citation of the Habitat Scroll of Honor Award of the UN Habitat in the Spanish city of Barcelona. The news conference was attended by Mr. Joan Clos, president of the Forum 2004 and Barcelona's mayor; Mrs. Anna Tibaijuka, executive director of UN-HABITAT; and Mrs. Mervat Tallawy, executive secretary of the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA). UN officials, present at the event, hailed the reconstruction of Lebanon and Prime Minister Hariri's efforts. Responding to the questions of journalists who converged on Barcelona to cover the ceremony, the Prime Minister stressed that Lebanon "is open to all countries in the world," and made clear that Lebanon is now facing "some problems" which could be overcome through dialogue and its friends around the world. In response to a question on his recent comments that the government will resign soon, he said it is "quite normal" for the government to resign, and it is now up to Parliament to decide if he will "head a new government or not." The Prime Minister was asked about tensions in the Middle East and "building pressures on Syria," and if he was concerned "about the possibility of war and conflict returning to your neighborhood, to your country in the years ahead, destroying what today you're being honored for helping to lead to rebuild?" Mr. Hariri said he is "optimistic by nature." He told journalists that Israel has no interest in launching war against any Arab country, citing the interest of the United States and the entire world in bringing peace and stability to the Middle East. He reiterated that Arabs want peace based on UN resolutions calling for an end to Israel's occupation of Arab lands. "From our side, we believe that peace is the solution. War is not a solution. War creates violence and destruction and leads to nowhere," the Premier said. At the news conference, Premier Hariri also said the Lebanese "learnt the hard way that war and conflict would not lead anywhere," and that "the common ground they have among each other is much wider than their differences," adding no one can break their ranks. The UN Habitat paid tribute to Prime Minister Rafic Hariri's leadership in achieving reconstruction, planning, project design, implementation and fund raising, at a special news conference in London that focused on the state of world cities and the Special Citation on the 2004 Habitat Scroll of Honour which UN Secretary General Kofi Annan offered to the Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq Al Hariri at the opening ceremony of the Second World Urban Forum in the Spanish city of Barcelona on September 13. Attending the press briefing by Mrs. Anna Tibaijuka, the Executive Director of UN-HABITAT, was the Premier's special advisor on development affairs Mr. Fadi Fawaz, Lebanon's Ambassador to Britain Jihad Mortada and a large group of officials and journalists. Mrs. Tibaijuka told reporters that the prestigious Special Citation of the UN-HABITAT Scroll of Honor Award, 2004, was awarded to Mr. Hariri for his outstanding and visionary leadership in the post-conflict reconstruction of Lebanon the highest award given by the United Nations for achievements in the field of human settlements. She described the Lebanese experience as unique and compared the reconstruction of the country following the 1975-1990 war to Europe's reconstruction after World War II. She hailed the participation of Lebanon's civil society in the post-war reconstruction effort. The top UN official explained that "hundreds" of applications were submitted for the title from ninety countries, but after an independent commission representing all continents reviewed them, they chose the Prime Minister, pointing out that Lebanon's experience offered a glimmer of hope in a region that witnesses many wars without reconstruction. She said the award amounted to the international community's appreciation of rehabilitation efforts, which Mrs. Tibaijuka attributed to Mr. Hariri. For his part, the Prime Minister's advisor told reporters that Mr. Hariri's vision to rebuild Lebanon and end the vestiges of war that lasted fifteen years succeeded, and so did the desire of the Lebanese to end warfare. He said a special committee carried out a field study in Lebanon and proved that Lebanon had not only complied with but also surpassed the best practice criteria of tangible impact in improving people's livelihoods. He made clear that the United Nations appreciated this achievement and wanted to tell the world about it. Prime Minister Rafiq Al-Hariri received the "distinguished and rare achievement award - the Scroll of Honor award from the UN-HABITAT "in appreciation of his "leadership and correct vision over the post-war national reconciliation and reconstruction period," a statement by the organization said. During a ceremony at the UN House ESCWA, the UN-HABITAT, or UN Human Settlements Program, announced the award to be given to Prime Minister Al-Hariri at a ceremony in Barcelona, Spain by UN Secretary General Kofi Annan. Finance Minister Fouad Siniora represented the Prime Minister at the Beirut ceremony, which was attended by several MPs, including Minister of Energy and Water Ayoub Humayed and Minister of Social Affairs Asaad Diab. The Scroll of Honor is the highest achievement award given by the UN-HABITAT for "achievements in the field of human settlements and is based on several criteria," the Executive Secretary of the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia, Mervat Tallawy, said in an address at the ceremony. She added that, after analyzing Lebanon's post-war reconstruction efforts, the UN-HABITAT organization called for giving the achievement award to the Hariri government team, which implemented the reconstruction. She added that Lebanon was lucky to have had Al-Hariri and his team at the helm because of their "high technological experience in the reconstruction field." "When we started our dream (of Lebanon's post-war reconstruction), we believed in that dream and set aside enough resources to implement it," Siniora said in an address. He added that, above all, the Hariri team had the willpower and the drive to achieve their aims. The finance minister added that the current Lebanese political stability and economic success were largely due to "the sacrifices that were made (by the team) in the initial post-war years," further stressing however that "the road is still long ahead of us." He added that the award was "well-deserved not only by the ministerial team in charge of the reconstruction program, but also by all the Lebanese people and by Lebanon itself," in the post civil war years. "The Lebanese people had turned the reconstruction problem into a challenge, which they have won." Al-Hariri's advisor for development affairs, Fadi Fawaz, described Lebanon's post-war reconstruction as a "unique international event." He added that, at Tallawy's request, he had provided all the details about the reconstruction program. Prime Minister Rafic Hariri has provided leadership in achieving impressive results in planning, project design and implementation, fundraising, and helping rebuild peace in his country after a devastating 16 year civil war. The work is part of an on-going programme, which has included the restoration of the country's infrastructure including the electric power power system, a new telephone network, new roads, hospitals and clinics. The city of Beirut has been almost rebuilt and its central business district restored to its original grandeur. The Special Citation by UN-HABITAT recognizes the challenges of post-conflict reconstruction. UN-HABITAT has experience in post-conflict reconstruction and development programmes in several countires around the world including Afghanistan, Iraq, Kosovo and several African countries emerging from conflicts. Mr. Rafiq Hariri received the honour on Monday, September 13 from UN-HABITAT's Executive Director, Mrs. Anna Tibaijuka at the Opening Ceremony of the World Urban Forum in the Spanish city of Barcelona. The occassion was witnessed by outstanding world leaders. According to the panel of judges who arrived at this decisison, 'The Special Citation on post-conflict reconstruction awarded to Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri and to the people of Lebanon, goes to underscore the challenge of promoting a culture of peace and reconciliation that is critical to solve the many conflicts afflicting many parts of the world'. The award is meant to encourage this "shining example". The reconstructrion of Lebanon and Beirut is showcased at the World Urban Forum which itself is part of the glittering Universal Forum of cultures that is being hosted by the City of Barcelona from 9 May to 26 September 2004. The theme of the WUF is Cities: Crossroad of Cultures-Inclusiveness and Integration. On the other hand Prime Minister Rafic Hariri urged Spanish businessmen to invest in Lebanon and described the country as a gateway for trade with the Arab world, at a meeting with the Spanish business community in Barcelona's Chamber of Trade and Industry. The Premier updated business leaders on investment opportunities in Lebanon and ways that the private sectors of Lebanon and Spain can cooperate and boost bilateral trade. He said focus should not only be on large companies, but also on the creation of medium and small-sized firms, especially after Lebanon and the European Union signed a trade Association Agreement. Mr. Hariri described Lebanon as a trade partner of Europe and a gateway to the Arab world, citing next year's removal of customs tariffs on exports from Lebanon to Arab countries. The Prime Minister stressed that the move will turn Lebanon into an important center in the Middle East and will help companies re-export their goods across the Arab world. For his part, Miquel Maseda, the head of Barcelona's Chamber of Trade and Industry, said the Mediterranean city is Lebanon's top business partner in Spain and hoped that Mr. Hariri's current visit to Spain will help bolster economic cooperation. The Prime Minister earlier received a top UN prize in the city. Prime Minister Rafic Hariri held talks with senior officials in Madrid, including his Spanish counterpart and King Juan Carlos I, on bilateral Lebanese-Spanish relations and developments in the Middle East and around the world. In Madrid, Mr. Hariri also inspected the site of last year's terrorist bombings. He strongly condemned the blasts. Premier Hariri, who earlier arrived from Barcelona where he received the 2004 Scroll of Honor Special Citation Award of the UN-HABITAT, first met Spanish Prime Minister José Rodriguez Zapatero. Discussions focused on ways to boost bilateral relations and the situation in the Middle East, before attending a luncheon that Premier Zapatero held in Mr. Hariri's honor. The event was also attended by Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos, government officials and Lebanese Ambassador to Madrid Samir Mubarak. Later in the evening, Prime Minister Hariri was received by King Juan Carlos I at the Royal Palace for talks on the Middle East and international affairs, as well as bilateral ties. The Premier had also visited the Alocha train station where he paid homage to the victims of the terrorist attacks of Marc 11, 2004. Premier Hariri denounced terrorism at the site, saying they took away many innocent lives. "Those who disrespect human life are outside the limits of humanity, irrespective of their religion or race. They are the enemies of humanity as a whole," the Prime Minister wrote in the condolences register. Prime Minister Rafic Hariri concluded his official visit to Spain and headed to Belgium for talks with top European Commission and Belgian officials on bilateral ties and developments in the Middle East. In Madrid, Mr. Hariri met Spanish King Juan Carlos I, Prime Minister José Rodriguez Zapatero and Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos. Discussions focused on ways to boost Spanish-Lebanese relations and the situation in the Middle East, especially in Iraq and the occupied Palestinian territories. In Brussels, the Premier is scheduled to meet the new European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso, Belgian Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt, and the EU high representative for common foreign and security policy Mr. Javier Solana. Before leaving Madrid, Mr. Hariri received at his residence at the Ritz Hotel a delegation representing the ruling Partido Socialista Obrero Espanol party led by Secretary-General Jose Blanco, spokesman Rafael Estrella and foreign affairs officer Trinidad Jimenez. Lebanese Ambassador to Madrid Samir Mubarak attended the meeting. The Premier also met, separately, a delegation from the leftist coalition Izquierda Unida, and a group representing the opposition Partido Popular, led by the party's leader, Mariano Rajoy. High on the agenda of the meetings was the situation in Lebanon and Spain and the role that political parties play in public life, as well as strengthening democracy. The Prime Minister received Arab ambassadors posted in Madrid. Talks focused on the situation in the region and Mr. Hariri's vision of the future. After the meeting, which was attended by Lebanon's Ambassador, Morocco's Ambassador Abdel-Salam Bin Barka, the doyen of the Arab diplomatic corps praised the Prime Minister. "We were actually enlightened by his views, frankness and realism in dealing with Arab affairs. There is no doubt that this meeting will enlighten Arab ambassadors in Madrid as they fulfill their duties," he said. The Lebanese Ambassadors later hosted a lunch in the Prime Minister's honor. It was attended by a number of Spanish officials. Spain's Foreign Minister had also held a dinner in Mr. Hariri's honor last night, during which they followed up on official discussions.