Date: 01/11/2016
No; 463
The Honorable Michel Aoun,
President of the Lebanese Republic
Dear President Aoun:
On behalf of the Assyrian people worldwide and the Assyrian Universal Alliance I extend our heartfelt congratulations on your historic election. We wish you the best as you assume the duties of the President of Lebanon.
At these difficult times your election ushers a massage of hope, freedom and opportunity for the people of Lebanon and the region as a whole, and especially for the Assyrians. We wish you success in your new role and the responsibilities it carries.
Lebanon has been home to Assyrians for thousands of years and has hosted numerous Assyrian refugees from around the region at the time of conflicts. I take this opportunity to thank the Lebanese people for their hospitality and kindness, and commend the government of Lebanon for its humanitarian actions. We hope that the Assyrian community in Lebanon will soon be able to nominate and elect their own representatives in their municipalities, and most importantly have an elected representative in the Lebanese parliament to speak on their behalf.
I had the opportunity to meet you at the Assyrian Council in Tehran a few years ago. I look forward to the opportunity to visit with you in Beirut in the near future.
Very respectfully,
Yonathan Betkolia
Secretary General Assyrian Universal Alliance