Bassil Agrees with Fabius on Need to 'Build Strong Army, Fight Terror'
Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil on Tuesday agreed with his French counterpart Laurent Fabius on the need to “build a strong army and fight terrorism” in Lebanon.
“The meeting was constructive and there are common viewpoints between the two sides, including the agreement on the importance of stability in Lebanon and the need to build a strong army and fight terrorism,” said Bassil after talks with Fabius at the Quai d'Orsay palace in Paris.
The meeting was held on the eve of a French-sponsored conference for the International Support Group for Lebanon in Paris.
For his part, Fabius expressed his readiness and his country's willingness to cooperate with Bassil with the aim of “fortifying ties between the two countries and enhancing cooperation to support Lebanon and its institutions.”
The French minister underlined “France's commitment to the freedom, sovereignty, stability and unity of Lebanon and its support for the Lebanese government in all the challenges it is facing.”
Bassil is part of the delegation that accompanied President Michel Suleiman to Paris, which also includes Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Samir Moqbel, Social Affairs Minister Rashid Derbas and other officials.
The Support Group was set up last year to help the country deal with the implications of the brutal war in Syria that began in March 2011. It is intended to provide financial, political and security support to Lebanon.
The number of Syrian refugees in Lebanon has surged to more than 900,000 according to the United Nations' refugee agency (UNHCR) and Lebanon is facing difficulties in coping with their burden.
The conference, which will be held at the French Foreign Ministry headquarters is expected to be followed by a meeting between Suleiman and his French counterpart Francois Hollande.
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