Lebanon’s Moslem ruling party has expressed concern about the future of Christian congregations in the Middle East.

Ahmad Hariri, the secretary-general of the Lebanese Future Movement, has said there might be repercussions from the amount of Christian emigration from Lebanon and other Middle East countries.

Speaking at a press conference he called on Arabs and Christians alike to ensure the nurturing of the Christian presence in the region.

He said the effort to ensure the Christian population remained in the area was "as much an Arab and Islamic responsibility as a Christian one."

The comments came amid concerns over the growing Shi’ite influence in Lebanon.

Christian, Sunni and Druse populations in Lebanon, have long been worried about the rise of the Shi’ite population, with many searching for new horizons.

Christians, who used to constitute a majority in Lebanon, are in a relatively futile bid for power in the Lebanon parliament.

The Christian population has now lost its majority due to decades of emigration and the high birthrate of Muslims.