His Holiness Patriarch Mor Ignatius Aphrem II met His Excellency the President of Lebanon General Michel Aoun at the Presidential Palace in Baabda.
His Holiness was accompanied by their Eminences Mor Theophilus Georges Saliba, Archbishop of Mount Lebanon and Tripoli, Mor Justinus Boulos Safar, Patriarchal Vicar of Zahleh and Beqaa, Mor Clemis Daniel Kourieh, Metropolitan of Beirut, Mor Chrysostomos Michael Shemoun, Patriarchal Vicar of the Patriarchal Benevolent Institutions in Atchaneh, Mor Yacoub Eduardo, Patriarchal Vicar in Central America, Very Rev. Raban Joseph Bali, Patriarchal Secretary and Media Office Director, and Very Rev. Raban Carlos Babi.
His Holiness asked His Excellency to help in promoting the rights of the Syriacs to have two parliamentary seats. His Holiness presented to His Excellency the document which he signed with His Beatitude the Syriac Catholic Patriarch Mor Ignatius Youssef III Younan demanding the rights of the Syriac in having proper parliamentary representation by having a seat for the Syriac Orthodox and a seat for the Syriac Catholic.
His Holiness also invited His Excellency the President to be the patron of the General Syriac Conference which will discuss the presence of Christians in the Middle East and their future.
He asked President Aoun to help in the case of the two abducted Archbishops of Aleppo Boulos Yaziji and Mor Gregorius Youhanna Ibrahim.

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