BEIRUT: Lebanese President General Michel Aoun met on Tuesday with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs H E Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani.
Aoun thanked the Amir, H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, for his support to Lebanon at all times and appreciated the prompt response of Qatar to provide immediate relief aid to Lebanon after the explosion at Beirut port.
Sheikh Mohammed said Qatar is committed to standing by the Lebanese people in the reconstruction phase and supports efforts to overcome the humanitarian catastrophe and continue support in light of its economic crisis in view of the aggravated coronavirus pandemic.
After the meeting, Sheikh Mohammed said Lebanon is going through a critical time and his visit was to convey the condolences of Qatar to the Lebanese people and to wish a speedy recovery for the injured in the Beirut Port explosion. He said: “H H the Amir’s directives are clear to study projects affected by this explosion and we are about to complete a study of rebuilding public schools in partnership with UNICEF and rehabilitating some damaged hospitals in Lebanon.”
He said there is no doubt there is a need for political and social stability in Lebanon in order to support the reform process and hoped all political and social forces in Lebanon would in the interest of the Lebanese people at the centre of these reforms. He said these reforms should stem from the needs of the Lebanese people and not from any external pressures.
Sheikh Mohammed also met Lebanese Minister of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants Charbel Wehbe. During the meeting, Sheikh Mohammed expressed the condolences of the government and the people of Qatar on the victims of the explosion in Beirut Port. During the meeting, they also reviewed bilateral cooperation relations as well as developments in Lebanon in addition to issues of common concern.