Free Patriotic Movement Chief, MP Gebran Bassil, on Sunday, toured the city of Jezzine, which he began by meeting former MP Ibrahim Azar at his residence.
Bassil expressed joy at making this tour, saying: “We are facing a major challenge, and to preserve our options we must join efforts…Jezzine will be a major center of attraction…and together with former MP Amal Abu Zeid and Municipalities Union Head Khalil Harfouche, we hope to join efforts to the people’s benefit…”
In turn, Azar welcomed Bassil and assured him that “his home is open to everyone.”
Bassil then visited the commercial market in the city of Jezzine and patronized the opening of its businesses there, accompanied by Caretaker Social Affairs Minister Hector Hajjar, former MP Amal Abu Zeid, Jezzine Municipalities Union Head, Khalil Harfouche, and several city and judicial officials.
In a brief word, Bassil said: ‘I learned to love Jezzine and its people from President General Michel Aoun, and this project is the beginning of a journey tha
t began with those who built Jezzine hundreds of years ago. When I saw Al-Sadd Street and the works carried out by the municipality, I was encouraged and asked why not continue…? All we are trying to do is development and marketing, and Jezzine has all the ingredients to be a polarizing area.’
He considered that “the restoration process must be completed by the people of the district and the city, and the development process must take place in stages.”
Bassil affirmed: ‘Competition is necessary for people to develop…A destructive mind will not help us advance, and every person resists war in his way, and this is our way of resisting, which is building…We must believe that our role is to connect and unite, not to divide and fragment…”
“Our strength is through our openness without dissolving into others and remaining open to others. This is the strength of Jezzine to attract people. We have spread culture and history throughout the past, and this is something that we agree on,’ Bassil underlined.
In
turn, former MP Amal Abu Zeid noted that ‘the aim of opening this market is to demonstrate the will to survive and be hopeful for the future…and for the people of the region to remain in it and for it to be strengthened…’
For his part, Harfouche stressed that ‘the goal of reconstructing the market is to attract a larger number of tourists to Jezzine,” adding, “Culture is at the heart of development and social work.”
Later, Bassil participated in a Mass service held in the Church of Saint Anthony in Jezzine, in the presence of a crowd of believers and townspeople.
Finally, Bassil concluded his visit by inaugurating the youth hostel in Jezzine, where he said: “Jezzine must remain the fortress of FPM through our work, as the Movement and Lebanon are built with positive energy.”
He hoped that ‘this place will bring together the new FPM generation to aspire for a better future.”
Source: National News Agency – Lebanon