Beirut, May 2, 2024 (Xinhua) — European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced today (Thursday) at the end of European-Lebanon-Cypriot talks in Beirut financial aid to Lebanon worth one billion euros over three years in aid of Lebanon. “sustainability.”
This came at a press conference after talks between Von der Leyen, Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides, and caretaker Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati.
Von der Leyen confirmed the European Union’s strong support for Lebanon, noting that the aid package will be available from this year until 2027.
She pointed out that the financial package aims to support social and economic stability in Lebanon by increasing basic services, supporting security forces, and economic, financial and banking reforms.
Activities include providing assistance in managing migration and supporting Syrian refugees in Lebanon and host communities.
She emphasized the support of the Lebanese army and security forces by providing equipment and training for border management and finalizing working arrangements with the European Border and Coast Guard Organization (Frontex).
He renewed a commitment to “reset refugees from Lebanon to the European Union,” relying at the same time on Lebanon’s “good cooperation to prevent illegal immigration and combat back -smuggling of migrants.”
She promised to “consider how to make the aid of the European Union more effective, by studying how to work on a more organized approach to voluntary return to Syria in close cooperation with the High Commissioner of Nations United for Refugees.”
For his part, the President of Cyprus believed that the European aid package for Lebanon would increase the authorities’ ability to face various challenges, including monitoring land borders and sea, ensuring the safety of citizens, as well as fighting smuggling and fighting against it. terrorism
He said that “Cyprus deeply understands the problems and challenges facing Lebanon, and their effects affecting Cyprus and the European Union.”
He emphasized, “Working more closely with our partners and with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to discuss the issue of voluntary return of refugees as we reconsider the assessment of the situation in some of areas in Syria.”
On April 8, the President of Cyprus met with Mikati and agreed to work with the European Union to find a comprehensive and sustainable solution to the Syrian refugee crisis by encouraging them to return to Syria.
For his part, Mikati said at the press conference that “Lebanon has the greatest responsibility among the countries of the region and the world in terms of hosting displaced people,” declaring that he rejected “Lebanon turning into another home. “
He said that “the movement has become more than Lebanon’s capacity to bear, especially since the number of displaced people has now reached almost a third of the Lebanese population, with the burdens and challenges which will result in doubling Lebanon’s economic and financial crisis and recession. of its infrastructure.”
Mikati warned that “the fireballrelated to the issue of displaced Syrians will not be limited to Lebanon, but will spread to Europe and turn into a regional and international crisis.”
He emphasized that what is needed is “to support displaced people in their country to encourage them to return voluntarily, which will guarantee them a good life in their home country.”
He warned, “Lebanon will become a transition country from Syria to Europe, and the problems that appear on the Cyprus border are only a sample of what could happen if this issue is not fundamentally addressed .”
The phenomenon of irregular migration from the northern coast of Lebanon to Cyprus, Turkey, Greece and Italy has been active in recent years, despite the efforts of the Lebanese security forces to prevent migrant journeys illegally across the sea through a set of administrative, legal and security measures.
Mikati called on the European Union “to proceed with solving the issue of the displaced people radically and as soon as possible, based on the knowledge that the approach to the solution is purely political.”
The General Security of Lebanon estimates that the number of Syrians living in the country is two million and 80 thousand, which puts social, economic and security pressure on Lebanon, which has been about facing a serious economic and financial crisis from the end of 2019. /end of news/
2024-05-02 16:13:30
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