Aoun Says Lebanon 'Will Only Rise' with Anti-Corruption Reforms

President Michel Aoun sent a cable message to French President Emmanuel Macron, extending appreciation for his efforts at the CEDRE conference hosted by France early in April, the Presidency media office said on Twitter Thursday.

“Lebanon's re-emergence will only take place with reforms that are in line with my interests in combating corruption,” said Aoun.

International donors pledged $11 billion in low-interest loans and aid for Lebanon at a conference in Paris on April 6, to try to avert an economic crisis in a country hard hit by the fallout from the Syrian war.

Among the biggest donors was the World Bank which pledged more than $4 billion over five years, while France opened the conference with a promise of 550 million euros ($676 million).

Saudi Arabia, which vies with arch-rival Iran for influence in Lebanon, said it would renew a $1-billion line of credit to Beirut which had been agreed in the past but never used, Lebanese officials said.