Nigeria plans joint commission with Lebanon

Nigeria and Lebanon would establish a Joint Commission to boost trade and foreign direct investments, President Goodluck Jonathan said on Monday in Abuja, the capital of the West African country. The Nigerian leader said this at a joint press conference with the Lebanese President Michel Sleiman, who was on an official visit to Nigeria. Both leaders addressed a press conference shortly after a closed-door session at the Presidential Villa. President Jonathan described Sleiman's visit as historic, saying the Joint Commission would soon be in operation. "We consider a number of draft agreements on trade, investments promotion and protection, bilateral air service and an agreement to establish a joint commission between the two countries," the Nigerian leader said. These agreements are important and necessary to boost our bi- national trade and inflow of foreign direct investments, he added. According to him, they are being negotiated by officials of both countries and the details will be signed in a future date. "We also discussed the current situation of international environment and underscore the need for us to collaborate in our commitment to ensure that the world live in peace," he said. The president said it was the first time a President from Lebanon would be visiting Nigeria in-spite of the fact that Nigeria played host to a large number of Lebanese in the Diaspora. He said the visit offered the opportunity to exchange ideas on various subject matters that were of mutual interest to both countries. President Jonathan said both countries reviewed the state of bilateral relations and acknowledged the need to do more to deepen the relations. Sleiman also commended the long standing contacts between Nigerians and Lebanese. The Lebanese president called on Nigerian businessmen to take advantage of the investment opportunities in Lebanon while assuring them of protection.