Tourism Minister Ouadis Kedenian anticipated a promising tourism season with the return of tourists from various Arab Gulf countries to Lebanon in the upcoming summer season, the State-run National News Agency reported on Friday.

The Minister noted that a German delegation will be visiting Lebanon on April 15 to discuss the activation of the tourism course between Lebanon and Europe, and another Chinese will pay Lebanon a visit on April 20 to sign a tourism agreement between Lebanon and China, NNA added.

President Michel Aoun stressed the necessity to safeguard security stability and the need for coordination between the security and military apparatuses, the State-run National News Agency reported on Friday.

Aoun's comments came during a security meeting he presided at the Presidential Palace in Baabda to discuss the situation in the country, NNA added.

After concluding a visit to Saudi Arabia, Prime Minister Saad Hariri is preparing for a European tour that will begin next week and includes France, Germany and Brussels, al-Joumhouria daily reported on Friday.

The daily obtained information that French President Francoise Hollande, who will receive Hariri on April 3, will honor him from the rank of Knight to the rank of Commodore at a ceremony at the Elysee Palace.

It has become determined that Lebanon's various political parties believe that a new electoral law for the upcoming parliamentary elections must be devised in April, although the outcome so far shows lack in groundwork to build a new law on, al-Joumhouria daily reported on Friday.

A hybrid electoral law proposal assembled by Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil, under which 64 MPS would be elected according to the proportional representation system and 64 others would be elected by their respective sects under a winner-takes-all system, did not meet the consent of all political parties, said the daily.

Lebanon's parliament is preparing to hold a general debate for the government next week that will be broadcast live on television, as agreed at a parliament bureau meeting chaired by Speaker Nabih Berri on Thursday, media reports said on Friday.

Parliamentary sources told al-Joumhouria daily, there will be no agenda for this meeting but only an open visual and audio debate that will be broadcast live on air.

Two Syrians were killed on Thursday when a blast ripped through a pickup truck they were riding in the Bekaa border town of Arsal, media reports said.

Finance Minister Ali Hassan Khalil stressed on Thursday that Lebanon's new budget plan will put the country on the right track to begin reforms as he assured that none of the taxes imposed have an impact on poor segments of the society.

“The latest cabinet discussions about the draft budget plan were not arbitrary and many reforms and amendments were made,” Khalil said in a press conference.

Security forces arrested a Syrian national suspected of having links to the deadly Bourj al-Baranjneh twin bombings and of monitoring Hizbullah positions, media reports said on Thursday.

The State Security agency arrested Aa.R. for having links to the Islamic State militant group, said LBCI.

Security forces in the eastern town of Hermel arrested two wanted fugitives late Wednesday, the State-run National News Agency reported on Thursday.

Army and Intelligence units conducted late-night raids in Hermel and neighboring areas that resulted in the detention of N.H. in Hermel and Aa.H.H. in al-Shawagir neighborhood, NNA added.

Prime Minister Saad Hariri held a meeting on Thursday with Saudi Deputy Crown Prince, Second Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Mohammed bin Salman at the latter's office in Riyadh, Hariri's press office said in a statement.

The meeting with the Saudi deputy, who is leading a massive campaign to introduce reforms to the world's largest oil exporter, reviewed the bilateral relations between the two countries as well as latest developments in the Middle East.