The secretary general of the Syndicate of Owners of Restaurants, Cafes, Nightclubs and Pastries in Lebanon, Aref Saadeh, said a series of meetings are in the works between labor minister, Lamia Yammin, tourism minister, Ramsey Msharafieh and the Japanese Embassy on the one hand and the Syndicate to finalize a mutual agreement that will create thousands of jobs for the Lebanese. The agreement will allow the Syndicate to send young Lebanese men and women to train in Japan in the industry of Asian, specifically Japanese cuisine. This reportedly will generate around 5000 employment opportunities for Lebanese workforce thus covering the needs of some 230 Japanese eateries in Lebanon. Saadeh was speaking during a meeting held yesterday with the Japanese Restaurants’ Committee to discuss emerging obstacles in relation to foreign labor and imported raw materials with the ongoing dollar exchange rate crisis. (Al Diyar, June 25, 2020)