German Chancellor Angela Merkel concluded on Friday a two-day visit to Lebanon during which she met with President Michel Aoun and Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri to discuss economic and migrant affairs.
Hariri said after meeting the German leader: “Her visit to Lebanon at this delicate time is proof of the importance that Germany attaches to Lebanon's political and economic stability. The visit is also an occasion to consolidate the excellent historic relations between our two countries.”
He thanked her for Germany's great support for Lebanon, especially in terms of humanitarian assistance to alleviate the repercussions of the Syrian displacement crisis, reported the National News Agency.
“Despite considerable efforts, Syrian displacement is far greater than Lebanon's capacity to withstand,” said the prime minister during a press conference with Merkel at the Grand Serail.
“In this regard, there is a need to continuously expand basic humanitarian assistance to include, in addition to the displaced, the host communities. But the most important is the implementation of development projects that improve the livelihoods of host communities and provide job opportunities for the Lebanese hosting their displaced brothers,” Hariri stressed.
On the economic level, the officials reviewed the vision of the Lebanese government for stability, growth and employment opportunities that Beirut presented at the CEDRE conference two months ago in Paris.
“Of course, as we moved into the implementation phase today, I reaffirmed the commitment of the Lebanese government to all the reforms mentioned in the Conference and the importance of establishing a follow-up mechanism with the international community,” Hariri said.
For her part, Merkel stated: “We came with a delegation that includes parliamentarians and an economic delegation and it is clear that our aim is to strengthen the parliamentary and economic cooperation between Lebanon and Germany.”
“The timing is very suitable because the CEDRE Conference presents a good foundation for this cooperation. I thank the readiness of the Lebanese government to include Germany in the bodies that will help to move forward with the necessary structural reforms in Lebanon and we are keen to implement the promises made to Lebanon,” she added.
She said: “We witnessed the existence of tangible plans by your government regarding investments and this is for the interest of the people in Lebanon. I think that Germany will offer good contribution in the field of power and waste management.”
Earlier, Merkel and Hariri took part in an economic roundtable on Lebanon during her Beirut visit.
“The chambers of commerce and industry explained that there will be a chamber of commerce here in Lebanon and there was an agreement on the outlines. I think this is very important for the SMEs in Germany especially in terms of your plans to develop free economic zones and reduce bureaucratic steps,” she continued before reporters.
“There are a lot of things that we can do and I believe that Lebanon is a good starting point for the activities in the region. The economic development is a priority for the first time since the civil war.”
On refugee issues, she stressed: “Germany is committed to help and support Lebanon by offering humanitarian relief and supporting humanitarian organizations.”
“We want to contribute to reaching a political solution in Syria that would enable the Syrian refugees to return to Syria, and we are cooperating with the international organizations and with the UNHCR.”
“The return of the refugees must take place when safe conditions are available. Lebanon is facing difficult circumstances, and here we are seeing an example of how religious minorities coexist with each other,” she remarked.
There are over a million Syrian refugees living in Lebanon, representing nearly a quarter of the population. This makes Lebanon the largest host country in the region, putting a huge strain on the economy. In 2017, Germany gave Lebanon 370 million euros to help with the refugees.
