Minister of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants Youssef Raji, in the presence of Lebanese Ambassador to Washington Nada Hamada Moawad, launched the biometric fingerprint service for the Lebanese passport at the headquarters of the Lebanese Embassy in Washington. Minister Raji expressed his "pleasure to return to the embassy where he took over the management of political affairs between 1995 and 1999," expressing his happiness at "meeting a number of employees with whom he worked during that period." He said: “Launching this service is not just an administrative procedure, but rather a commitment towards the spread Lebanese people who have always remained a living extension of the homeland.” He explained that “the Lebanese are now able, instead of the hassle of travel and waiting and the complications of transactions, to obtain his passport in his country of residence, in the quickest time and at the lowest cost,” stressing that “the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates is continuing to modernize its services and bring them closer to the Lebanese wherever they are, because a state that respects its citizens is at their side everywhere.” He added: "From Washington, I say to all the Lebanese in the world, you are an integral part of Lebanon. Just as Lebanon's sovereignty and stability are at the heart of every diplomatic move we take, your dignity, rights, and service are also at the heart of our work. A strong state is one that safeguards its sovereignty at home and preserves the dignity of its people abroad." Raji held a meeting at the Lebanese Embassy headquarters with a number of Lebanese media professionals residing in Washington, discussing the results of the visit and the conversations he held with American officials, during which he presented the most prominent priorities of Lebanese diplomacy in the next stage.