Mashnouq to Cairo to Purchase Egyptian-Made Military Equipment
Interior Minister Nouhad al-Mashnouq headed a security delegation to Egypt on Sunday to purchase military equipment as part of the Saudi grant to the Lebanese army, the al-Joumhouria daily reported.
"The visit aims to purchase military equipment made in Egypt," for the benefit of the army "and to put efforts together in a bid to combat the spread of terrorism," the daily said on Monday.
The purchase of these weapons will be part of the one billion dollar grant donated by Saudi Arabia for the security and military institutions to counter terrorism.
Head of al-Mustaqbal movement Saad Hariri had announced the grant during a surprise visit to Lebanon in August.
In a related report, the chief of the Lebanese army Gen. Jean Qahwaji arrived in Cairo on Sunday at the head of a delegation comprising Director General of the Internal Security Forces, Maj. Gen. Ibrahim Basbous and Head of the Information Branch Imad Othman in addition to a number of officers.
On the reason for his visit to Egypt, Mashnouq stated: "There is a common goal of fighting terrorism and preventing extremism. We are here to benefit from the Egyptian experience in this matter."
Earlier in September, media reports said that a meeting between PM Tammam Salam and Egyptian President Abdul Fatah al-Sisi, on the sidelines of the General Assembly of the United Nations in New York, stressed the willingness of Egypt to help Lebanon "as much as possible, to receive units of the Lebanese army and train them to counter terrorism."
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