Naharnet

Report: French, Lebanese Officials Finalize Deal on Army's Needs

A French military delegation and officials at the Lebanese defense ministry reached a final agreement on the arms and ammunition that the army needs under the $3 billion Saudi grant announced last year, An Nahar daily reported on Thursday.

The newspaper said that the discussions between the Lebanese officials and the delegation, which includes military experts and representatives from French companies, settled the Lebanese army's request for aid to its ground, navy and air brigades.

The arms and ammunition will be delivered in three stages, the first of which will be immediate, said the report.

The second stage will involve the delivery of new weapons stored in French warehouses while the third will take a little time to be implemented because it includes arms and ammunition that are still under production, it added.

France and Saudi Arabia signed an agreement at the start of November for Paris to provide the Lebanese military with the $3 billion worth of weapons paid for by Riyadh.

The deal, which was first announced last December, aims to boost the army as it struggles to contain a rising tide of violence linked to the civil war in Syria.

G.K.

H.K.


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