Meanwhile, Prime Minister Dr. Nawaf Salam chaired a Cabinet session dedicated to listening to the Minister of Finance’s presentation regarding the report prepared by the Ministry of Finance on the draft general budget for the year 2027 and to begin discussing the draft law related to it. After the session ended, Information Minister Paul Morcos provided official information, noting that the Council of Ministers held its session designated to discuss the draft general budget law under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Dr. Nawaf Salam, and in the presence of ladies and gentlemen ministers, in the absence of His Excellency the Minister of Education and Higher Education and the Minister of Culture. Morcos explained that the Cabinet sessions will continue until the aforementioned draft law is completed. He pointed out that the Council of Ministers began studying the budget items, after His Excellency the Minister of Finance presented the reasons that called for setting these items in their current form in light of the circumstances that the country is going through. He added that the Council then began discussing the draft budget article by article, and some amendments were made to the articles, and we will continue these sessions also starting tomorrow. Regarding the demands presented by the Armed Forces Veterans Association, the Council of Ministers considered that it was not at all ignorant of social concerns, noting that the latest proposal included a six-month salary increase with retroactive effect, in addition to social, health and educational benefits. The Council of Ministers was surprised by the action called for by the Armed Forces Veterans Association, especially in this delicate economic and security situation, especially in terms of the conditions of the public treasury that you know. On the other hand, the Council of Ministers affirmed its readiness to engage in dialogue with the stakeholders to reach a formula that would improve their conditions and bring justice to them, and therefore the government’s hand is extended to that end. According to this order, a ministerial committee was appointed that will meet with them tonight, headed by the Deputy Prime Minister, Dr. Tarek Mitri, and membership of the Ministers of Finance, Defense, Interior, Information Technology, and Public Works.