Remarks by General Salim Zeenni - Open Ceremony
Beirut, Friday, June 26, 2015

Good morning ladies and gentlemen, your Excellency Ambassador Hale,

I would like to welcome you all here today for this third LARP mission to Lebanon. And a special welcome to the esteemed delegation from the United States, most of which are Americans of Lebanese descent. They have come a long way to show solidarity with Lebanon, and to give back to their home country. This is the essence of the Lebanese-American relationship. The Lebanese Diaspora.

The success of Lebanese around the world, and especially in the United States, has helped enrich our bilateral ties there's no doubt. They are our ambassadors in every state. The talent, dynamism and resilience of the Lebanese is evident throughout the world, and today we will discover what potential lies in collaboration between our two countries.

We are constantly faced with uncertainties in Lebanon and the region, and that is a fact that we live with every day, like a monotonous song on repeat, but together the AmCham and LARP want to highlight the positive, and to ensure that we leave no stone unturned in identifying even more ways to cooperate for the good of both Lebanon and the United States. Something AmCham has been striving for since the 90's.

The American Lebanese Chamber of Commerce has a commitment to the prosperity of the American Lebanese relationship. It is proud of its collaboration with the Lebanese American Renaissance Partnership. For the third time, the LARP has shown great commitment and resourcefulness despite the usual resistance that the political and regional turmoil brings. Our meeting today is yet another manifestation of the strong partnership and shared values and aspirations between the US and Lebanon.

This year's very generous donation to the Lebanese Civil Defense is proof of the value that business brings to a country's development. The private sector is again an engine of change and growth. And here I want to thank the LARP members for their hard work and generosity. This is a worthy cause for all Lebanese who have the utmost respect for the volunteers who risk their lives to save people every day.

Without any further delay, let's give the floor to the panelists and start the real discussions. I look forward to a fruitful outcome at the end of the day, and hopefully to a fourth LARP mission.

Thank you.