European Council adopts second assistance measure in support of Lebanese Army
The European Council has adopted an assistance measure under the European Peace Facility (EPF) worth €15 million to the benefit of the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF), the EU Delegation to Lebanon said.
The assistance measure is aimed to strengthen the capacities of the LAF, by enhancing its capacities for the military medical operations, as well as the engineering and the logistics operations.
This decision “highlights that the EU-Lebanon partnership remains high on the EU’s agenda, in the highly volatile and unpredictable regional security situation,” the EU Delegation said in a statement.
In the European Council conclusions adopted on April 18, the EU had stressed its commitment to Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and its willingness to support state institutions and the LAF.
The European Peace Facility was established in March 2021 for the financing of actions under the common foreign and security policy to prevent conflicts, preserve peace and strengthen international security and stability.
In particular, the EPF allows the EU to finance actions designed to strengthen the capacities of third states and regional and international organizations relating to military and defence matters. A first EPF measure was adopted in 2022 in favor of Lebanon, for an amount of €6 million.