Qatar PM reiterates support for Lebanese army
- Qatar backs Lebanon's stance on the Israeli army's withdrawal from occupied territories, emphasizing support for Lebanese control
- Qatar also pledges to help spark Lebanon energy, electricity revival
DUBAI: Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani on Friday reiterated his country’s support to the Lebanese army.
Sheikh Mohammed, who is also Qatar’s foreign minister, made the remarks after meeting with Lebanon’s President Joseph Aoun at the presidential palace in Baabda.
“Qatar supports Lebanon in all the measures it is taking and the Lebanese state’s position regarding the Israeli army’s withdrawal from the occupied [Lebanese] territories, and that the Lebanese army takes control, which Qatar will continue to support,” Sheikh Mohammed said.
Israel has linked its withdrawal from southern Lebanon to disarming Hezbollah and strengthening the Lebanese army. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said on June 21 that the Israeli military would continue operating there, and troops deployed in the “security zone” would not withdraw and would retain freedom of action to eliminate threats.
Aoun meanwhile thanked the Qatari leadership “in their constant pursuit of restoring stability to the countries of the region, through bringing viewpoints closer and removing the causes that lead to escalation,” a statement from the Lebanese presidency noted.
“President Aoun thanked the Emir of Qatar and the Qatari government for the support that Lebanon receives in all fields, wishing that Qatar would continue its efforts with brotherly Arab countries and friendly states to press Israel to halt its aggressions in the south and implement the framework agreement reached as a result of negotiations between Lebanon and Israel under American sponsorship,” the statement read.
Aoun also reiterated his condemnation of aggression against Gulf countries, the latest of which were the series of attacks against Saudi Arabia.
The Lebanese president also highlighted the continued “continuous Israeli aggressions to which the south is being subjected, and the resulting casualties, injuries, and destruction of southern villages and towns occupied by Israel.”
On their bilateral relations, Aoun welcomed possible cooperation on especially on the energy sector in which Qatar had previously expressed readiness to help Lebanon ease its electricity crisis.
Qatar pledges to help spark Lebanon energy, electricity revival
Qatar will help revive Lebanon’s ailing energy sector and solve its chronic problems in providing reliable electricity, the Lebanese and Qatari prime ministers said Friday.
“We have agreed to establish a comprehensive framework for cooperation in the energy sector and to present viable solutions,” Sheikh Mohammed said.
This is an “old project that Qatar had discussed with Lebanon … for years,” he added, saying it was now “about to see the light of day”.
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said the project would be carried out and financed by Qatar.
“We are close to reaching a project... aimed at rehabilitating, developing, and modernizing the electricity production infrastructure... at a lower cost,” Salam said.
Lebanon’s electricity sector has cost Lebanon more than $40 billion since the end of its 1975-1990 civil war, and successive governments have failed to reduce losses or repair crumbling infrastructure.
• with AFP