Aid Conference for Lebanon Scheduled Mid March

A major international donor conference aimed at boosting support for Lebanon's army and security forces has been scheduled on March 15.

Three meetings were held on Monday at the Grand Serail to prepare for the Rome II aid conference that will be held in Italy on March 15 as announced by the Italian ambassador to Lebanon.

The meeting was held in the presence of Interior Minister Nouhad al-Mashouq, Defense Minister Yaacoub al-Sarraf, a number of officials and technical experts and ambassadors of related countries, said the National News Agency.

Italian ambassador to Lebanon Massimo Marotti announced that the conference will be held in on March 15th.

Mashouq told reporters after the meeting: “At the Rome conference we see a historic opportunity to meet our needs for a secure future, not only in Lebanon but in the world as well.”

“We look forward to the day when illegitimate arms become under the State's rule, and we look forward to the day when the army returns to its barracks to carry out its duty to protect the country's borders. The security forces are solely responsible for the security of the Lebanese,” he said.

Assistant U.S. Secretary of State for Middle East Affairs David Satterfield had stressed to Mashnouq during a visit to Lebanon that he concluded Saturday that “the United States' insists on the success of the Rome II conference to support the internal security forces and the Lebanese army.”

In 2014, an international donor conference was held in Rome to boost support for Lebanon's army and security forces.

The 2014 meeting brought together 40 countries and international organizations, but did not offer more than logistical assistance, although some participant countries voiced readiness to “support the Lebanese Armed Forces during the capabilities building and reinforcement process.”

Lebanon is gearing up for three international conferences in 2018 including the Rome II Conference, the Paris IV conference also known as the Cedre Conference and the Brussels Conference to rally support for its armed forces.