>Biography
  >Personal Biography
  >Message from PM
  >Awards and Honors
  >Photo Gallery
  >PM Commitments

  >Foreign Visits
  >Interviews
  >Press Releases
  >About us

France honors assassinated Prime Minister with currency medallions

Saturday, February 04, 2006

	Print this article
	READ THIS ARTICLE
	MORE NEWS France honors assassinated Prime Minister with currency medallions Head of Future bloc offers condolences to Egypt and Saudi Arabia following ferry disaster Return of Amal and Hizbollah Ministers to Cabinet will shore up unity MP Hariri meets Jordan’s King Abdallah in London New Kuwaiti Emir always supported Lebanon Head of Future bloc concludes Washington visit President George W. Bush urges full investigation of late Premier’s assassination in talks with MP Hariri US Secretary of State voices backing for Lebanon MP Hariri meets US National Security Advisor and IMF Managing Director Lebanese committed to sovereignty, freedom and peace As-Safir report on legislative nomination baseless World Bank President expresses support for Lebanese economy
	ARCHIVE < February 2006 > 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28

Medals commemorating assassinated Prime Minister Rafic Hariri, nearly a year after his murder, were unveiled at a ceremony in Paris in the presence of French President Jacques Chirac, Mrs. Nazek Rafic Hariri, MP Saad Rafic Hariri, and a large group of officials and dignitaries. At the gathering, President Chirac said Prime Minister Hariri's murder will not go unpunished. He compared the late leader to French General Charles de Gaulle for his love of his country and his heroism.

Present at the ceremony, which saw the late leader's name engraved alongside famous men in history, were Mrs. Bernadette Chirac, the assassinated Premier's family members, French Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Thierry Breton, Assistant UN Secretary General Terje Roed-Larsen, Telecommunications Minister Marwan Hamadeh, MP Bahij Tabbara, Central Bank Governor Ryad Salameh, Beirut Mayor Abdel Menem Arees, Lebanese Ambassador to France Sylvie Alam, French Ambassador to Lebanon Bernard Emie, and a large number of dignitaries and figures.

President Chirac said he was moved by the memory of the late leader. The French President paid his respects to the Hariri family and pointed to his strong friendship with the murdered leader. He paid tribute to the former Prime Minister's love for Lebanon, describing him as a hero who had a vision for his country, and sought to make it sovereign, democratic and independent. He recounted the assassinated Prime Minister's values and his support of tens of thousands of Lebanese students, as well as the reconstruction of Lebanon and the capital city, which became a "model" for the entire Middle East.

President Chirac said he hoped that the murdered Prime Minister's sacrifices will inspire the Lebanese and the people of the Middle East and the international community to strive for peace and stability. "Those who unleashed the attack should know that the international community will do everything to ensure they answer for their crime. I solemnly say to them: this abominable crime will not go unpunished," President Chirac added.

For his part, Lebanon's Central Bank Governor, hailed in a speech, the late Premier's vision and his role in rebuilding Beirut. He thanked France for honoring this "great man" who worked to advance Lebanese interests and to strengthen Lebanese-French relations.