BEIRUT: The European Union is seeking to increase political and financial support to Lebanon in an effort to preserve the country’s stability, an EU delegation told Prime Minister Tammam Salam Wednesday.
According to a statement released by the premier’s news office, Salam met Wednesday with EU Ambassador to Lebanon Angelina Eichhorst and a delegation from The European Parliament’s Foreign Affairs commission at the Grand Serail.
Citing the threat of terrorism to Lebanon, the civil wars in Syria and Iraq, as well as the mass influx of refugees, Elmar Brok, Chairman of the European Parliament Committee on Foreign Affairs, said “[The EU] must help Lebanon so its stability won’t be exposed to any turmoil.”
Brok said that the deterioration of Lebanese security would be “catastrophic” and vowed the EU's firm support to prevent such an occurrence.
Eichhorst and the EU delegation also met with Foreign Affairs Minister Gebran Bassil later Wednesday, according to a statement released by Bassil’s office.
After the meeting, Brok expressed European solidarity with Lebanon, saying that the EU would look in to the possibility of increasing financial assistance to Lebanon in light of the multiple challenges facing the country.
According to the statement, Wednesday’s meeting was a follow up to the EU-Lebanon Association Council meeting which was held in Brussels earlier this month.
During the Brussels meeting, Bassil and EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini signed a special protocol that allows Lebanon to participate in EU programs restricted to member states.
It remains unclear what programs Lebanon would become a party to, but the general theme of the meeting revolved around security, political and economic ties between Lebanon and the EU.
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