The Ambassador of Lebanon in Bydgoszcz

On Monday 22 May Bygdoszcz visited Charbel Macaron, Charge d’Affaires a.i. of the Republic of Lebanon in Poland and Keis Badr from the consular office of the Embassy. The eminent  guests were hosted on the invitation of Przemysław Skrzypek, the President of PACEC and Jaromir Łatuszyński, the President of the ICAR Foundation. The special guest was Paweł Skutecki the Deputy of the Sejm of Poland.

The visit began with a meeting with Józef Ramlaum, the Vice-Voivode of the Kujawsko-Pomorskie Voivodeship. Our Lebanese guests visited also the modern manufacturing plant of HANPLAST.

An important element of the visit was an opening of the exhibition “Lebanon communicating dialogue to the World.” The exhibition was organised by the approval of His Excellency Bishop Jan Tyrawa, thanks to hospitality of Priest Krzysztof Buchholtz, the President of Foundation “Wiatrak” in the Jubilee House named after John Paul II in Fordon in Bydgoszcz. The exhibition was given splendour by the concerto of Kujawia brass band from Koronowo together with a slide presentation from the memorable visit of John Paul II in Lebanon.

Our meeting took place in, as Przemysław Skrzypek stated: “In the House of Life, at the entrance to Valley of Death”. It is difficult not to find symbolism here as in Bydgoszcz the Catholic “Jubilee Center of John Paul II – the House of Life” – is actually built at the entrance to the “Valley of Death” – the place of mass murder of around 1300 Poles in 1939. Together we went through this place which made big impression on our guests, who come from a state experienced by destruction of war for almost quarter of a century. His Excellency Charbel Macaron lived in Beirut at the time when in 80s violent fights took place in the bloody domestic war, fuelled by outside forces.

Lebanon communicating dialogue to the world… And this world should help Lebanon. The state, which is “the first state to escape” for real war refugees. Lebanon with 4,5 million of citizens gave shelter to over 2 million of refugees from Palestine and Syria.