The Council of Ministers held its session in the Grand Serail at the invitation of the Prime Minister and in his presence and the presence of ladies and gentlemen ministers in the absence of His Excellency the Minister of Foreign Affairs. During which he completed the study of the draft general budget, and at the beginning of the session, His Excellency the President touched on his visit to the United States of America and the United Nations, especially since he reported on the results of his meetings with the President of the World Bank and the President of the International Monetary Fund. The Council also discussed a number of economic, financial and administrative files, and approved a set of items and decisions. In this context, the Council of Ministers approved the project to convert liquefied natural gas to natural gas (FSRU) in the Deir Ammar region on the basis of a partnership between the public and private sectors. His country also presented and approved the project to establish the Supreme Council for Special Economic Zones and Technological Industries. The Council also approved a draft decree aimed at abolishing a number of positions within the Ministry of Public Health, within the framework of government reform measures related to the health sector. Regarding cooperation with the Lebanese Army, the Internal Security Forces, and the European mission known as (CSDP), the Council of Ministers approved the message that the Lebanese government will send in this framework. The matter specifically relates to logistical support and a logistical technical agreement, and has nothing to do with international forces or beyond the term of UNIFIL’s mandate. Rather, it is integrated with the so-called international observer body, which is a metaphor for a correspondence requiring approval, and any subsequent correspondence that results from it will be presented to the Council of Ministers in accordance with the rules. The Council of Ministers also approved amending the value of the daily attendance allowance to work centers, so that the allowance that the employer must pay to the employee for each day of attendance is determined by the equivalent of the value of five liters of gasoline per day, provided that the allowance does not exceed the amount of eight hundred thousand Lebanese pounds per day, and is not less than five hundred thousand Lebanese pounds. In order to calculate this value, the average official price of a can of gasoline is used. The Council also approved a draft law aiming to open an additional appropriation to the general budget for the year 2026 in the amount of one thousand four hundred and fifty billion and eight hundred million Lebanese pounds, allocated to support public drivers to transport passengers for a period of three months, as a result of the rise in fuel prices. A decree was also signed to amend family compensation based on the approval of the Council of Ministers on February 16, with the amendment taking effect as of March 1, 2026, according to the following: two million and one hundred thousand Lebanese pounds for the wife or husband, and one million one hundred and sixty thousand Lebanese pounds for each dependent child, provided that the total compensation for children does not exceed five million and eight hundred thousand Lebanese pounds. As of October 1, 2026, the differences in family compensation due for the period extending from March 1 to September 30 will be paid monthly and simultaneously with the payment of salaries. The Council of Ministers completed the study of the articles and provisions of the draft general budget law and approved it, provided that it is sent in originals to the constitutional authorities for signature and referral to the House of Representatives within the specified constitutional deadlines. Thus, the government has respected, for the second year in a row, the constitutional deadlines with regard to approving the general budget. In response to a question about the results of President Salam’s visit to the United States, he said: “In the context of the session, the discussion also dealt with the results of this visit, which touched on the post-UNIFIL issue specifically, but also economic topics, as discussions were held with the IMF and the World Bank, and the Minister of Finance provided an explanation about a number of techniques that lead to this. We hope that in the next stage, visits by these international institutions to Lebanon will be witnessed, to complete the research into the files and projects presented. In response to a question about some ministers’ reservations about the draft budget, he said: “With regard to the draft budget, a number of ministers registered reservations and objections to some of its provisions, including the ministers of the Lebanese Forces, and the Minister of Justice disagreed. There was also a reservation for the Minister of Health. In response to another question, he announced: There was a paper submitted by the Lebanese Forces ministers, and the ministers reviewed it during the session. The failure to comply with all the demands contained therein was. Among the basic reasons that led to registering the objection, provided that each minister explains separately the reasons that prompted him to register his objection or reservation. Regarding holding a session in the city of Nabatieh, he said: “What I can say is that there will be government visits to Nabatieh and the south in general, of course, and there is a noticeable effort to produce results in favor of the south.”