Assafir: Lebanon completes preparations for the Franchophonic summit

The Lebanese minister of culture Ghassan Salamah has stressed Lebanon's preparedness to host the Franchophonic summit during October, noting that the preparations are complete.

In his capacity as the chairman of the summit's organizational committee Salamah said in a statement to the Lebanese daily Assafir issued on Saturday that he received 39 written consent to attend the summit out of 55 countries, and that 31 presidents and prime ministers out of 39 will attend.

He added that decisions expected to be concluded by the summit were almost finalized in Paris where meetings had already started for the representatives of all countries since several months under the chairmanship of Lebanon. He explained that Lebanon's care for these decisions are similar to those Lebanon had gained during the recent Arab summit.

He expressed Lebanon's readiness to receive the summit even "tomorrow" and that the reason to that is the preparations made in 2001 for the Franchophonic summit and its postponement just five weeks before it was convened. He added "Our experience with the Arab summit ( held in Beirut in March 2002 ) achieved a basic matter which was training of scores of Lebanese citizens and volunteers.