France-Hosted Int'l Meeting Rallies Support for Crisis-Hit Lebanese Army
A France-organized virtual international meeting for supporting the Lebanese Army was held Thursday with the participation of 20 countries.
The conference was also backed by the United Nations and Italy.
“We must meet the needs of the Lebanese Army through providing it with the essential assistance requirements,” Italian Defense Minister Lorenzo Guerini said.
French defense minister Florence Parly for her part said all participants should be concerned with making sure that the Lebanese Army will remain able to “carry out its missions in preserving security and stability.”
U.N. Special Coordinator for Lebanon Joanna Wronecka meanwhile said that the conference aims to keep the army coherent and effective, calling on participants to meet the military’s urgent needs.
Lebanon’s caretaker Deputy PM, Defense Minister and acting Foreign Minister Zeina Akar for her part warned against “abandoning” the Lebanese Army, noting that it represents “the guarantee for Lebanon’s stability and the security of the Lebanese.”
Army Commander General Joseph Aoun meanwhile told the conferees that the army enjoys domestic and international confidence while calling for urgent assistance.
He added that the salaries of servicemen have lost around 90% of their value in light of the unprecedented financial crisis, pointing out that soldiers’ medical services, food security, missions and the spare parts of vehicles have also been affected.
“The continued deterioration of the economic and financial situation in Lebanon will certainly lead to the collapse of institutions, including the military institution, and accordingly the entire country’s security will be exposed,” Aoun warned.
“The army is the only and last institution that is still coherent and it is the guarantee for security and stability in Lebanon and the region,” the army chief added, cautioning that the decline of the military institution would lead to “the collapse of the Lebanese entity and the spread of chaos.”
Source: Naharnet
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