I hope that the day will soon come when resolution 425 is fully implemented, in recognition of the territorial integrity, sovereignty and political independence of Lebanon. The Middle East is the cradle of civilization, with a history stretching back thousands of years. Of all the regions of the world, it is perhaps the most compact and well- defined, characterized by a coherence of language, geography, culture, history, customs and values. And yet, it suffers from a lack of economic and commercial ties among the countries of the region. No country today can pursue development in isolation.
Globalization is a fact of life.
And one of the keys to being a successful player lies in regional cooperation. Only by building up its intraregional cooperation and trade, can the Middle East reach its full potential in the world economy. Economic interests can and should play a constructive role in the pursuit of peace and development. Here, Beirut has a leading role to play. Look around you.