Minister of Education and Higher Education Abbas Al-Halabi met with the Russian Ambassador to Lebanon Alexander Rudakov, accompanied by Counselor at the Embassy Andrei Mostaev, and Deputy Director of the Russian Cultural Center Ruslan Ramazanov, in the presence of the Director General of Education Imad Al-Ashkar, Medical Adviser Dr. Danny Hamid, Director of the Minister’s Office Ramza Jaber and Counselor The journalist Albert Chamoun.
The Minister received from the Russian ambassador a letter from the Russian Foreign Ministry regarding the directives issued by the Russian government in terms of facilitating the reception of Lebanese students who were previously studying in Ukrainian universities, in Russian universities if they wish to do so.
The Russian ambassador explained that “the applications can be submitted by students to the Russian Cultural Center, and that whoever was studying in Ukraine at the expense of a certain scholarship, he can continue in Russia with a Russian scholarship as well. As for those who study on their own account, there are facilities in terms of payment and how to pay.” According to the conditions for admission to Russian universities.
He referred to the hotline set up by the Russian Ministry of Higher Education at the service of Lebanese students, which is 0074951222268.
The Russian ambassador revealed “the Russian side’s determination to absorb the Lebanese students who were in Ukraine,” stressing that “we are at the beginning of the road, and therefore obstacles can be overcome.”
On the other hand, the Russian ambassador revealed that “his country provided the World Food Program (WFP) with a ship of sunflower oil, costing more than five million US dollars. She needs nutritional support.
Minister Al-Halabi welcomed the Russian ambassador and briefed him on the situation on the ground between Russia and Ukraine, expressing his hope that “the language of dialogue will overcome everything else, and that the two sides will reach diplomatic means to ensure their security and consolidate peace.”
He explained to the ambassador the steps taken by the ministry in terms of establishing a platform for filling out forms, in which 335 Lebanese students who were studying in Ukraine have registered to date. Minister Al-Halabi referred to “the diversity of specializations and completed academic years, the majority of which are in medicine, pharmacy and engineering, especially since the total number of students The number of Lebanese students in Ukrainian universities is regarding 1,200.
He pointed out that “he followed up with the Lebanese ambassador to Ukraine, Ali Daher, the situation of the Lebanese students there, and the Lebanese ambassador revealed that many of them want to go to Western Europe and do not want to return to Lebanon, especially since many of them start their university studies with a vocational and technical education certificate.” According to the Lebanese system, it is not eligible to enter the faculties of medicine and pharmacy.
He stressed that “the Russian initiative to receive the Lebanese students is thankful, and the Russian role is active in the region and has always been in the interest of Lebanon historically.”
Minister Al-Halabi also affirmed “appreciating the initiative in all its details,” and appreciated “Russia’s willingness to donate the oil vessel as a gift to the World Food Program to provide edible oil to the students covered by this program, which is expected to cover in the next phase regarding 150 thousand learners.”
Then Minister Al-Halabi received the head of the Union of Municipalities of the Upper Matn, Marwan Salha, at the head of a delegation, in the presence of the Director General of Education, Imad Al-Ashkar. The delegation included the mayors of the union: Pierre Baaklini – Bzebdine, Abdo Shaiban – Tarshish, Elias Saad – Jawar Al Haouz, Roger Negm – Al-Qusaiba, Tony Rizkallah – Church, Michel Al-Asmar – Kartadah, Petro Al-Ashkar in Maryam, Raja Bou Raslan – Deputy Mayor Ras El-Matn, Hafeez El-Hashem – representative of the Mayor of Hasbaya El-Matn, Jean Antoun and Marwan Chamoun from the municipality of Jewar El-Haouz.
Salha invited Minister Al-Halabi to visit the Al-Matn Al-Ala area to see the conditions of its official schools, and work to secure ways for them to survive and continue to play their educational and national role, provided that a meeting with school principals is held at the end of the visit at the Union Center. The minister promised them to visit as soon as possible, and to strive with everyone to enable public schools to withstand in light of the crisis and improve performance.
Then Minister al-Halabi received the mayor of Baabda, Antoine al-Helou, and discussed with him the educational issues related to the town, especially the municipality’s willingness to make the public school in Baabda a model school, and to equip it with solar panels, a computer lab and other things that the school needs.
Minister Al-Halabi thanked the mayor for this willingness, stressing “the role of municipalities in developed countries in building schools, taking care of them, and caring for the educated.”
The Minister of Education also received the mayor of Baqrzala Hanna Samaan, who headed a delegation from the town that included the director of the secondary school, Diana Imad Abboud, and briefed them on the conditions of the secondary building, which is an old dilapidated building. They asked the minister to “consent to placing the property owned by the ministry at the municipality’s disposal to establish a new official secondary building, especially since they secured funding from a municipality in Germany worth 50 thousand euros.”
The Minister appreciated their activity and the interest of the municipality and the people in the official secondary school, and gave initial approval to move forward with the preparations. He also gave directives to the administration to follow up on the administrative procedures leading to the implementation of the project.
Then Minister Al-Halabi met with a delegation of secondary contractors of various names, including Muntaha Fawaz, Ayman Ghannam and Muhammad Al-Shahimi, and followed up with them issues related to the conditions of the contractors. The delegation noted “the minister’s response to the rightful demands related to the complete contract of contractors and payment mechanisms, and other demands.”
On the other hand, Minister Al-Halabi expressed his thanks and appreciation to the directors of the schools and secondary schools of the northern Matn Coast, and to the administrative and educational bodies in them, for the activity they exert to maintain the continuity of education and improve performance, appreciating the follow-up of the head of the educational region in Mount Lebanon Gilbert Al-Sukhon to all educational and administrative issues in his educational region and its schools. Which “provides educational and administrative service for students and teachers in the public and private sectors.”