Prime Minister Saad Hariri said on Saturday he is committed to fighting any efforts to cause conflict in Lebanon and to maintain security and national unity in the face of Israeli threats, according to a statement from his office.

The PM held a dinner at the Grand Serail in honor of Qatari Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani who arrived in Lebanon for a three-day visit on Friday to meet with Lebanese leaders. President Michel Sleiman, Speaker Nabih Berri and several political and military figures were also in attendance.

The Qatari prince has joined Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdel Aziz and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to help face Israeli aggression toward Lebanon, Hariri said, adding that Hamad’s intervention during the May 7 events in 2008 helped Lebanese figures reach a compromise.

Qatar played a key role in ending the 2008 crisis, brokering the Doha Agreement which called for forming a national-unity government and passing a new electoral law.

“Qatar has always contributed to rebuilding Lebanon,” Hariri said.

The Saturday dinner was held “to celebrate the brotherhood that connects [Lebanon] with Qatar. It is to show our gratitude for always standing by Lebanon,” the PM concluded.

-NOW Lebanon

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