when those 4 further opening subsequently when the implementation phase of the with all agreement with the e.u. is over so we have many tracks on which we are working and i think we have a promising what could be a promising relationship in terms of trade investments services. along with of course cultural and political relationship quite a bit on cultural him to change between the 2 countries in the document what cultural into change do you want between lebanon and really well you know in the u.k. universities are becoming increasingly attractive for many students so we need to take stock of that and we need to work also on their access access of these students on the opportunities they might find post graduation and the and the u.k. market so are you worried before the deal was finally signed off because lebanon is no member of the rebel if you yes do you think there could have been a problem yes that's why we rolled over this i mean we signed this agreement last

september. in case there was not a deal between the u.k. and the e.u. that agreement would have entered into force at the end of january and would have taken over the bilateral trade relationship so on the side we are we are safe we managed to provide certainty and bridges ability for the private sector and both in both countries but now since we have a deal between the u.k. and the e.u. this bilateral agreement with lebanon would under into force at the end of the implementation phase i'm sure as a master you know how media in britain portrays your country especially recently that it's a riot torn place that is on the edge of total breakdown what if you thought of the reporting of what's happening in your country there were allegations of corrupt pictures of from beirut to exaggerate. rating the demonstrations well as you know

we live in a post truth universe but this does not mean that we do not come on make challenges which should be addressed. without over magnifying them and the in the media but obviously we have challenges we have a protest movement with which we are keen to have the best working relationship and to engage with the words a new phase and the in the history of our country a phase of reform a phase of footage of a nation of the potential which we know we all know and our international partners also know that the potential exists and the lebanese economy lebanon is an important country in the region that somehow the un 3.0 they live on and that has always been a platform. be it in the financial sector and culture and media free press it's a democratic country freedom of opinion freedom of speech so on this this is these

are staying as we need to take stock of and we need to focus on the words economic model that gun compete in the region on the global scale of course another aspect of lebanon that is promoted arguably here in nato we need a country that will leave you is that hezbollah is a political party in your country is a 3rd largest party in the of the e.u. announced economic sanctions on his what is lebanon make of that and how does that affect the trade deal because if there's a company in lebanon that happens to have a member of the political party from this will that party how does that affect the trade deal there's no mention of sanctions on lebanese entities not we're not a country under under sanctions of course one when the e.u. and the u k. as recently as last month they took. a sanctioning

measure on hezbollah we voiced our disagreement pool with labeling hezbollah as a terrorist organization because it's a prism through the political party and our political system it has members of parliament and the previous government that has had ministers directly affiliated to to the structure of hezbollah and the current government. but that remains an important political party and lebanon so we've always thought our our concern with it is a measurement of this well this is a sovereign unilateral measure that fully disagree with but. we are keen not to not to make it an obstacle towards furthering our bilateral relations so if i'm a businessman in britain i want to do some business with an entity in lebanon and

that company happens to have someone who is a member of a political party as well and in lebanon they're subject to sanctions or does this rollover trade deal trump the these sanctions we are keen that this issue does not . or does not affect the clean and transparent business structure and law but on the banking sector as one of the most compliant and the the word i don't think any british businessman or company is running a risk of course there is a political consideration as i said that we disagree with but practically i think we are on the right track on for making sure that this does not be the business climate and lebanon and that tract of most of the lebanese market through the eyes. international foreign. and busters because another thing worrying

investors might be the fact that israeli jets are crossing your airspace all the time there was bombing of syria this week by these really have who is is how safe is it there and can lebanon do anything to stop the violations of your airspace well you know we live in a region where political risk is elevated and all the in all all the countries of the of the region starting from the mediterranean to to the arabian sea. i think the and best working and the middle east at large would have to take account of political risk premium that is elevated but as they say and vestment book a bill or a no risk no profit. on the specific. concern that you raised of course we have been on there are regular and continuous

over floods violations to our space. by sea and sometimes by by land we always make sure to denounce that and report to the united nations on the nice sovereign country. to defund. it stead of terry and that spittle as you know this is an international law well has british involvement in trying to overthrow the government of neighboring syria affected your country. well this erie in crisis is very complex and complicated of course the syrian war and general has inflicted. very britain was on on the lebanon. yes it's no secret that britain has been on that announced as a regularly but this is. conflict in general has affected heavily our economy

actually prior to the syria crisis and 2010 our growth was close to 7 percent and starting from 2011 when the syria war started we started when the ending towards now we are near or. 0.5 percent so there is a clear causal effects between the syrian war in general the syrian conflict and the economic deterioration in lebanon as you know syria is our main cross at all towards the arab world most of our products were. exported through through syria to syria through syria and the other dimension as the syrian refugee crisis which also has a major impact on the lebanese economy so what do you tell the foreign office here about the britons continued desire to see the overthrow of bashar al assad in fact

i understand that for isis suspects arrested in lebanon in the bust week so there was a spillover as well of islam is groups would you tell the foreign office here well what we tell everyone is that. there should be 1st a political process this is a conflict that cannot be resolved by military means and words like overthrow or operation of data that i think everyone needs to look for the political process we have luckily you and process we have a united nations security council resolution and i think everyone should respect that allow the syrians themselves to find their way through towards a peaceful resolution of the scribes which ariens of course because if you watch british media mainstream media it will tell you that what the russians are doing in the clip. appalling and hazardous killing his own people the main syrians who are

in now who are concentrated according to. you know that in syria our official stance this association we don't they sides and syria having said that as we take sides with our national interest we have national interest and and lebanon which dictate that syria. remains becomes increase. i thought of as a free country. able to talk to all. 3 of course democratic syria and inclusive governance and that's what we aim to see and i think that's what the u.n. process as about saw we are we are hopeful that this you and process will do that and i think also there should be some that is you know london to national favoring

dynamics will help the syrians come together and reach. a compromise be there more for the lebanese ambassador to london rami more to after this short break. what holds if. i put themselves on the line. to get accepted or rejected. so when you want to be president. or something i want to be honest. with you i would be close to see what before 3 in the morning can't be good. i'm interested

always in the waters in the house. there should. thinking of getting a new phone the ones we got in here shows no problem was he didn't know until he was trapped in this tiny little wired coach we're going to hear the crate with him the wall just. freaking out and she won't let us bring him anywhere near. breeding dogs a caged in in human conditions on puppy phone i mean 67 years you know they've been locked up in a cage outside you see no protection from the weather the heat you know the cold air the rain the snow the funder nothing they have no protection. to get what you. get through kid. across the u.s. cruel puppy mills are supported by dog shows on pet stores most of the puppies that are coming from these large scale factory farming kind of operations are being sold in stores even joined

a group businesses are involved like ogling mom santa there has been a shocking amount of organized opposition to adverts to increase the standards of care for dogs bred in commercial rating for so many most of that opposition is coming from huge agricultural groups and industries that have nothing to do with dogs don't buy dog.

welcome back i'm still here the lebanese embassy in london with ambassador rummy want to have a president as i've told me despite this program that britain would have no dog to play in the rebuilding infrastructure contracts for syria post war is a different will lebanon be involved in a the rebuilding of syrian lebanese companies. well of course we're a neighboring country our infrastructure of compatible with syria and the reconstruction but i think all this will come subsequent to some sort of political solution i could already see the building actually the rebuilding of but of syria but doesn't this pose another problem because if there really is companies are involved in rebuilding of syria after the the war syria is under british sanction so again lebanese business is subject themselves to british

retaliation economic retaliation for its relationships with with syria with iran that's why i said needs a comprehensive compromise which involves everyone looking for one win situation i think what we're in the witnessing in the in the region. crises that cannot be resolved militarily that's for sure whether you're talking about syria yemen or the british girl says in fairness that it's. on economic grounds that it is now waging war as it were rather the military to serve in a british troops that they will admit to being in syria and their support of the u.n. process are on that's that's a good start i think everyone should give chance to the to the you and process because that's how international crises are resolved and always having in

mind the pillars of the rule based international orders which is none interference and domestic affairs which is allowing the population of any country to decide for their political fate of. the country. respecting legitimate governments that's also another pillar of the rule based international order no go . i right know you're a diplomat as you know going to tell me whether you think britain did violate the let's go to the peace agreement that boris johnson certainly seems to be encouraged by the deal of the century you host of course 200000 palestinians maybe up to that but not sure what the numbers on of others to the refugees half a 1000000 are there with varying figures and i'm just wondering what you thought of the deal of the century which has been welcomed by the british government. well we judge on a on a plan or on a deal based on the on the better meters i mean

a right of return isn't on the table so you there's nothing about the realities and that's why we have the so-called terms of reference i think the new process cannot . just cruise in a total vacuum you need some terms of reference based on which you would judge and says any text or any plan or any vision the terms of reference are known they have been there for the last 50 years. more. you and security council resolutions. again of the rule based international order one like was ashamed of that it is by by force and the right of return which has. rights but there's and should find and to national legitimacy since 1949 through the famous general assembly resolution one mind for

so when we take that into account and we try to. look at the plan based on these but i meters we do not find them then the plan which makes us say that this is not the plan that goes with international legitimacy ok with it is it difficult being ambassador here because not only did britain welcome the drome plan and britain supported the assassination of the iranian general kazim so many watching that the united states has the right to do that are all these policies is going to wrench to lebanon's position. what i understood from the british position on the peace plan as that they welcomed the announcement of the plan. without subscribing to the substance to the content of the plan and i think what they're go there to. going to say it's not for me to to state the british position but that's what i heard and what i read is that they welcomed an american involvement and the

in the peace process but with regards to substance it's up to the parties to decide through direct negotiations that's the british position or you would remember it as for our position it's a common position which has been saudis and clear iterated by the legal fight up states which has the commitments for these but i meters the terms of reference i spoke about me and the move away of the terms of reference i think would totally cripple the peace process or what remains of it so i think the most constructive approach is to recommit ourselves to international legitimacy. that's the way to safeguard our national peace and security well as i said boris johnson did claim that the united states had the right to kill and assassinate because i'm

sure the money the iranian general how does it affect lebanon these policies these are we the reputed drum war on iran well obviously on this we think that there is a need for deescalation and luckily we managed and january to to deescalate and to to reach what is miller to israeli loyal what they say rein in yes but i'm talking specifically between the americans and iran now what remains is as engagement as dialogue because i think this. crisis cannot be resolved by military mean and i mean military action could only complicate the prob. and further destabilize the region so if we go over lebanese british relations of britain takes the united states is certainly

seen to be more pro-drug than other e.u. nations well among friends there are always disagreements we do not see eye to eye on the everything obviously. but i think we are on from from both sides we are committed. to. pursue dialogue. they are committed to this stability of lebanon. i think stability of lebanon as a major component of regional stability and vice versa what is the scale of the syrian refugee crisis there in lebanon. well obviously it's a it's a big challenge for the for the economy on the whole the source you socio economic fabric. as i said the coast was estimated by the world bank back in 2016 of $17000000000.00 so you could

imagine how much they cost currently. having said this. we do recognize that the syrians are in a hardship we never questioned our open borders policy until their numbers became more than than the our country could could accommodate so we put some criteria for for admission. currently we are watching closely the situation and syria. do we i think we call for to seize and the opening for a safe and voluntary. because most of syria is stabilized so as long as the return as safe. voluntary i don't see a reason why this should not be and cottage what remains is obviously providing

them back in syria with the economic viability currently with the with the economic challenges that the lebanon as is witnessing. the syrian refugee file is gaining more visibility in the and the national debate and lebanon i personally do not belong to a school of thought that likes to scapegoat the syrian refugees for for all the economic hardships but this does not mean that the impact has not been of very big magnitude on the on the national economy because britain gives aid it says to help refugees in the vulnerable in syria russia says the white helmet which is financed by britain is a terrorist group ring. would you make well on aid i think we're still kind of stuck with the humanitarian aid phase. and by definition humanitarian

aid is for an emergency whereas the syria crisis has been going on for 9 years. saw you cannot you cannot sustain humanitarian aid more for for 9 years i think by now while working for. repatriation as i said safe and voluntarily but the relation for at least some of the refugees to syria this is one track and battle i think we have to embark and to a new phase in terms of assistance which is development assistance. because military i mean the humanitarian assistance does not do the job anymore and does not get to the the quickly to the host communities all balled the programs devised for humanitarian assistance involve also some some host communities within the next only benny's citizen but nothing as as benefiting the lebanese economy do you think

british bombing of syria exacerbated the refugee crisis in syria emotionally and the military action in syria makes. syria further secure. causes. complicates the refugee crisis britain said it taught syria lesson about chemical weapons use of you know other whistle blowers refuting the allegations but britain certainly didn't agree that it was going to exacerbate the refugee crisis well it's evident that the only military action. against the refugee crisis that's fact of life of course if you are saying that the refugee crisis also had an impact on the lebanese economy. some of the protesters on the streets of beirut say it's a neo liberal economic system in lebanon that increased inequality in lebanon do you think the new cabinet that's been formed is going to focus on issues of

inequality when when i say that the syrian refugees they exacerbated the economic hardship and lebanon i don't mean that they are responsible for all the economic difficulties that that we're witnessing prior to 2 to syria out of the syrian crisis we had economic vulnerabilities. in our economy but as i said we were having 78 percent growth of g.d.p. per year. so the syrian refugees are definitely one component of the economic hardships was saying but there are others now on the new cabinet a government that needs to focus that wants to focus that commits committed actually to focus on the reform process on. out to the protest movement to address the legitimate aspirations to

reconnect with our international partners for for seeking prosperity for the for the country you know that we have and tonight. format which is the international support group which are our international partners we will the government will reach out to them soon with a plan with a viable concrete. plan with benchmarks for implementation doesn't mean just western bankers i don't know from the city of london going over to design he can only grow forms because none of this will be a homegrown plan i mean we live benny's we have contributed to the prosperity of the countries of the region and at large so we don't we don't like experts it will be definitely homegrown now if there is a need for interaction with any. expertise abroad we do not charge away from from that but essentially it will be

a homegrown plan. dating stock of what has been done before and what has been lagging. so obviously they will start delivering to gain the confidence of the protesters and then haines mutual confidence also lowered into. the region to london to national importance about to thank you thank you for the show we're back on monday i had to leave new hampshire primaries let's hope it is better than iowa. and copper prices telling us about the globalization of the dollar as asian depopulation most of the big things the market tells us the cycles of the markets are telling us something that you don't hear in my stream media and that's always

been the case since markets are bad it's always price precedes news. and it's community there are people who believe that it's ok to sell fraction food on my table it's really hard there are no jobs and you see that i've got kids and ask and as a parent. i can come up with lots of arguments there's a lot of conflict in the game and between the 2 most of the conflicts i would say throw balls around money and most of them money is made. close one on each of those he knows each other is good business the state of california alone makes $6000000000.00 a year of prison complex just to get some point in your life where. you don't care anymore now my hair is a monster so your hair might anything. global

chemical weapons watchdog. specters who exposed significant reports on the alleged chemical attack in the syrian city of duma we look at the credibility of. a couple accused of arranging the murder of their adopted son in order to see insurance pay out of war free but now they will be extradited to india to face trial. human rights concerns. also we can us democratic party primary in the state state. technical glitches irregularities and. washington's hysterical response. confusion and socialism.