NNA - Culture Minister Dr. Ghassan Salamé held a press conference at the Sanayeh National Library, during which he discussed the ministry's role in the cultural initiative, which focuses on three missions. He stated: "The first mission is sovereignty, because the Minister of Culture, upon his appointment, became the largest real estate owner in Lebanon and the owner of the most important archaeological remains. His primary mission is to defend these sites and combat persistent encroachments. Some of these encroachments have been stopped in cooperation with the Ministry of the Interior. This role also includes that of guardian of national memory and the restoration of what can be restored of this built heritage with the help of brotherly and friendly countries." »

He revealed that "in the coming hours, an agreement will be reached with a source to secure a grant estimated at $3.5 million to restore the Beiteddine and Prince Amin palaces."

He stated: "The ministry's budget for next year will include half a million dollars for the restoration of the UNESCO Palace, in addition to projects already in the pipeline, such as the Grand Theatre, which requires $20 million in work. We have launched an international campaign, the first million of which was fortunately donated by the Emirate of Sharjah. We are collaborating with UNESCO to launch this campaign. Another project, the Mar Mikhael train station, is nearing completion. Thanks to a grant from the Italian government and under the supervision of UNESCO, we are working to rehabilitate the site to make it a vibrant cultural center. We are also collaborating with the French government on the Ashmoun site." We are also working on adopting a law on underwater cultural property in Lebanon. We are also working on other projects, not only related to built heritage, but also to scientific, cultural, and literary heritage.” He added, “I am pleased to inform you that a workshop will be held in this building after obtaining a $750,000 grant to begin digitizing some of the library’s contents. We are currently working on collecting donations for the ministry’s funds, including the paintings currently being restored, while we work to restore both built and non-built heritage.” He continued, “The second mission of the Ministry of Culture is its role in economic recovery. Indeed, any artistic product, whatever its nature, has a commercial dimension, such as a film, a book, or a painting. Moreover, works of art express national identity. The Ministry of Culture therefore plays a fundamental role in the economic recovery process. All stakeholders in the cultural industries will be invited to sectoral workshops to discuss how to develop their sector and leverage it to grow, increase efficiency, and contribute to the national economy. These workshops will be held next January. Participants will be informed of the strategic economic recovery plan. Furthermore, the international conference being prepared by the Ministry of Economy, in agreement with Minister Amer Bissat, has decided to devote an entire day to the contribution of Lebanese culture to economic recovery.

He concluded: "The third mission entrusted to the Minister of Culture is to lead, manage, and develop the debate on national identity, the future of the country, and its stability."