NNA - The outgoing Prime Minister, Najib Mikati, on Thursday received at the Grand Serail the Ambassadors of France and Japan, Patrice Paoli and Seiichi Otsuka, with talks featuring high on the issue pertaining to the Syrian displaced persons.



Otsuka stressed that the Japanese government works on supporting Lebanon due to its [Lebanon's] receiving a big number of displaced in its regions. In this connection, the ambassador disclosed that his country will grant through UN agencies a 10-million dollar amount for Lebanon, Syria, Turkey, Iraq and Jordan to help the displaced in said countries.



Paoli, for his part, said that France highly appreciates Lebanon's response to the humanitarian duty related to the displaced people issue, especially that "Lebanon has kept and must keep its borders open for the purpose of aiding those needy and living in a critical condition."



Amongst Mikati's visitors had been Caretaker State Minister for Administrative Affairs, Mohammad Fneish, MP Simon Abi Ramia, and others.


===========A.M.