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Lebanon: Macron reiterates his demands for reforms by opening a new aid conference

2020-12-03T13:21:51.781Z


French President Emmanuel Macron reiterated his demands for reforms on Lebanon by opening, Wednesday, December 2, a second international emergency aid conference for the country, four months after the explosion in the port of Beirut and while the leaders Lebanese are unable to agree. Read also: Lebanon: the French initiative at an impasse This videoconference, co-chaired by UN Secretary General


French President Emmanuel Macron reiterated his demands for reforms on Lebanon by opening, Wednesday, December 2, a second international emergency aid conference for the country, four months after the explosion in the port of Beirut and while the leaders Lebanese are unable to agree.

Read also: Lebanon: the French initiative at an impasse

This videoconference, co-chaired by UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, opened late Wednesday afternoon with heads of state, international organizations, multilateral funds, NGOs and representatives of Lebanese civil society.

Lebanon has been stuck for over a year in a deep economic, social and political crisis.

In addition to a historic depreciation of its currency and hyperinflation, the country is still without a government more than three months after the resignation of the Prime Minister, Hassan Diab, shortly after the explosion of the port of Beirut which put the country kneeling.

In introduction, Emmanuel Macron took stock of the first aid conference of August 9 but also lambasted the Lebanese leaders who, he lamented, did not keep their commitment to form a government, and to launch reforms, a condition for triggering structural aid.

He confirmed that he would be visiting Lebanon again in December to remind them.

"

The commitments (...) were not respected

", he said, "

nothing allows to say that it was not only words

".

Read also: Macron and the UN mobilize on Wednesday to help Lebanon in crisis

On the other hand, he welcomed the fact that the pledges of donors on August 9 were "

kept and even exceeded: more than 280 million euros have been disbursed, which has made it possible to meet a significant part of the immediate needs

".

In particular, “

12,500 tons of flour were distributed, or 80% of stocks destroyed, 73,000 people received financial assistance, around twenty mobile medical teams were deployed, 25,000 people benefited from shelter, 90 schools received supplies.

It's a lot but it's not enough

, ”continued the French president.

The World Bank, the UN and the EU have taken action to establish a fund for the early recovery of the country, with the participation of civil society.

This support cannot replace the commitment of the Lebanese political forces to form a government as quickly as possible and implement the roadmap of reforms without which international structural aid could not be triggered.

We will not give up on our promises or our demands, whether on the reforms or on the investigation of the explosion.

", he said.

Lebanese President Michel Aoun declared for his part that "

forming a government is a priority

", in order to launch structural reforms and rebuild Beirut.

Your aid is crucial for the people,

” he told donors.

In a damning report, the World Bank spoke of a "

deliberate depression

" in Lebanon, denouncing the inability of leaders to agree on "

effective political action

".

GDP is expected to shrink 19.2% this year after contracting 6.7% in 2019.

Source: lefigaro

All news articles on 2020-12-03

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