BEIRUT: Maronite Patriarch praised President Michel Sleiman Thursday on his efforts at building the foundations of a Lebanese state and society while facing various challenges.

“The president of the republic, during the difficult times the country is witnessing, is building the foundations of a Lebanese state based on reconciliation, understanding and growth,” Beshara Rai said during his speech on the occasion of laying the foundation stones for a new church in Jbeil, north of Beirut.

Rai also said that Sleiman was facing major hurdles as the president finds ways of understanding and dialogue to end conflicts among politicians.

Sleiman has repeatedly called on rival political parties to re-launch national dialogue as the only means for reconciliation given the deepening political divide between the country’s main factions.

The patriarch, addressing lawmakers and politicians who were among the crowd, urged them to work toward building the Lebanese state and society.