Beirut MPs held a conference titled "Beirut: A Safe and Weapons-Free City," before noon today at the Phoenicia Hotel. It was attended by MPs: Fouad Makhzoumi, Ghassan Hasbani, Paula Yacoubian, Jihad Pakradouni, Jean Talouzian, Nicolas Sehnaoui, Waddah Sadek, Edgar Traboulsi, Nadim Gemayel, Melhem Khalaf, Ibrahim Mneimneh, Faisal Sayegh, Adnan Traboulsi; former Minister Michel Pharaon represented by Mr. Alain Khabieh; former MP Ammar Houri; Maronite League President, Engineer Maron El Helou; Maronite General Council President, Engineer Michel Matar; Islamic Center President, Engineer Ali Assaf; Beirut Deputy Mayor, Mr. Ragheb Haddad, and members of the Beirut Municipal Council; former Bar Association President Fadi El Masri; and a number of political, media, and social figures. At the beginning, MP Fouad Makhzoumi delivered a speech in which he stressed that "Beirut will remain the capital that embraces everyone and that building the state is not complete except by restricting arms." Makhzoumi emphasized that "the Lebanese Army is not an option; rather, it is the guarantee and the institution we trust." He affirmed, "We will not accept that Beirut be destroyed once again, we will not accept that it be taken hostage, and we will not accept that a reality outside the state's will be imposed on its people. Beirut deserves to be protected and to return as a city of peace, not an arena for conflicts." For his part, MP Ghassan Hasbani considered that "the fears of Beirut's people are justified after suffering from loose weapons and the repercussions of a war they were dragged into by a decision from outside the state." Then MP Nicolas Sehnaoui pointed out that "Beirut must be the unifying city for all its sons and daughters, with arms exclusively in the hands of the state." As for MP Faisal Sayegh, he stressed "the necessity of engaging in negotiations with Israel within a unified national agenda and the necessity for Beirut to be weapons-free as a prelude for the whole of Lebanon." MP Adnan Traboulsi explained that "the importance of this meeting comes today to protect Beirut and protect Lebanon, and the state is the only capable party to protect the Lebanese." For his part, MP Nadim Gemayel affirmed, "We are gathering around the decisions of the Lebanese government in order to fortify it and fortify the government to re-extend the state's authority over its entire territory." MP Edgar Traboulsi also affirmed "the necessity for Beirut to be weapons-free to protect all Lebanese until the state extends its decision over its entire territory." For her part, MP Paula Yacoubian stressed "the importance of the meeting and the follow-up on its work leading to a recovering capital free from any illegitimate weapons." MP Melhem Khalaf said: "Beirut is the responsibility of the state in enforcing the law, and we want it safe and weapons-free." For his part, MP Ibrahim Mneimneh considered that "Hezbollah dragged Lebanon into a war it has nothing to do with, exposing us to severe damages that our homeland has no capacity to bear," calling for "a safe, weapons-free Beirut." As for MP Nabil Badr, he stressed in an audio message "the importance of security and that Beirut be free from any weapons other than those of the state," praising the importance of the conference. MP Waddah Sadek affirmed "the legitimacy and credibility of the demand for Beirut to be weapons-free as a prelude for all of Lebanon, because the Lebanese can no longer bear the ruin and poverty brought upon them by weapons." In conclusion, the attendees affirmed their full support for the government's decisions aimed at extending state sovereignty, consolidating the exclusivity of war and peace decisions in the hands of the Lebanese authority, and all related decisions concerning Hezbollah, including restricting arms to the legitimate forces. In a final statement, they stressed their rejection of any targeting of the government and its head, supported the executive authority's decision to declare Beirut a weapons-free city, and called for the implementation of an effective and comprehensive security deployment by the security forces to ensure the protection of citizens. The statement said: "We affirm that protecting Beirut through serious work to establish security and stability is a collective national responsibility that requires the concerted efforts of official and popular bodies to safeguard the dignity and security of the city's sons and daughters, its residents, and all those who have been displaced to it." MP Makhzoumi also announced the formation of a follow-up committee for this conference, and the first visit of Beirut MPs will be to Prime Minister Dr. Nawaf Salam and to President of the Republic General Joseph Aoun.