Seklaoui: An opportunity to provide the treasury with financial resources
Regie and LAU sign agreement to conduct a joint study on the economic feasibility of cultivating Indian Hemp for medical and industrial purposes
Mouawad: A bold step breaking the barrier of preconceptions ideas
The challenge before us is to examine the possibility of turning an imminent danger into successful solutions.
Under the patronage of the Minister of Finance, Youssef Khalil, the Lebanese Tobacco and Tobacco Administration “Regie” signed an agreement with the Lebanese American University (LAU), at its headquarters in Hadat, to carry out a joint study on the economic feasibility of growing Indian hemp for medical and industrial purposes in Lebanon.
An agreement was signed by the Chairman and General Manager of "Regie" Eng. Nassif Seklaoui and the President of the Lebanese American University, Dr. Michel Mouawad, in the presence of Regie officials, academics and administrators from the university.
Seklaoui said: "we have been working to strengthen the national economy and look for opportunities to sustain support for the state treasury for a while now. Based on our joint social and economic responsibility, we took the initiative to turn challenges into opportunities. The cultivation of Indian hemp can be an option to preserve the sustainability of the profitability of the state treasury and provide it with the necessary financial resources, especially in light of the difficult circumstances that the country is going through. We are hopeful that we will succeed by studying the economic feasibility of this project.
He then added: "hence, the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding was an opportunity for academic cooperation with the prestigious Lebanese American University, a pioneer in the field of scientific research. A reliable study that can be handed out to the Lebanese government, gathering multiple chances of investing in this sector as a contribution in placing studied scientific data and outputs in the hands of the concerned governmental agencies”. By applying the law, we put our capabilities, team and experience in agriculture with academics, researchers and experts from the Lebanese American University, which is known for its scientific research and laboratories, serves this goal and we look forward to sharing the results of this study with those concerned in the government in the near future."
He expressed his hope "to open new horizons for Lebanon and to achieve the success of this project for the benefit of the country”.
Mouawad
As for Mouawad, he described the agreement as "a new brick in the wall of the fruitful cooperation between the Lebanese American University and the Lebanese state administrations (...) within the framework of our joint work towards the common goal, which is to serve our society and our country in these difficult circumstances."
It was also noted that "the list of LAU’s cooperation with the Lebanese state administrations extends to include the army, general security, internal security, state security, customs, and the Lebanese University. In addition to the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, the Ministry of Health, the National Council for Scientific Research and others.”
However, he considered that "this agreement, in particular, has a special flavor that distinguishes it from others," as "it is the first of its kind with the Regie administration, and falls within the framework of its efforts to study the medical and industrial uses of hemp cultivation."
He then added, "together, with this step, we will provide a valuable service not only for science and scientific research but also for the medical and pharmaceutical sectors and the national economy.”
He highlighted that "community service and cooperation with various economic sectors is at the heart of the Lebanese American University's mission, and is part of its applied scientific research roadmap.
This cooperation is manifested through various channels, including the providing scientific and medical services, the provision of scholarships, and conducting research work with the National Council for Scientific Research, and more.” He announced that "the university is currently in the process of establishing the Center for the Public Good to serve as a reliable resource information hub for the public policy-making process.”
“The importance of this agreement lies in its indication of a new trend towards benefiting from what science offers to enhance local capacities in a field that has begun to attract the interest of other countries,” he said. Considering it “we thank the Ministry of Finance and the Regie administration for this bold step of their forward-thinking and foresight.”
“A bold step indeed since it breaks the barrier of preconceived ideas and opens a new window on a topic surrounded by many preconceived ideas and fears based on difficult experiences and significant risks” he said.
The challenge is to overcome all of the above and turn a major problem into a valuable opportunity, and an imminent danger into successful solutions that will help the society and its people”.
He affirmed that "the university and its researchers as a party are responsible for conducting the necessary research and studies within this agreement, and are eagerly looking forward to this mission and hope for good outcomes”, and will provide "their best knowledge and effort" to complete this task.
I hope that this agreement will be “a stimulus for all of us to further fruitful cooperation and creative thinking in the service of our beloved Lebanon”. He then added, "let this pioneering approach at your management level be based on scientific research, open the way for a more comprehensive approach at the level of our institutions as a whole to benefit from what science offers in shaping up policies and building future strategies”.