Egyptian president urges international support to Lebanon months after tragic blast

CAIRO – 2 December 2020: Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El Sisi called on the international community to stand by Lebanon in the hard circumstances it faces and urged Lebanese leaders to prioritize the nation’s interest, the Presidency said in a statement.

As he participated via video in the second meeting on Wednesday to support Lebanon, held four months after the Lebanese capital of Beirut was hit by an explosion that killed dozens and left hundreds of thousands homeless.

President Sisi urged Lebanese leaders to settle disputes and accelerate efforts to form an independent government that is capable of dealing with the current challenges, preserving the resources of the Lebanese people and sparing the country further, consecutive crises, Presidential spokesman Bassam Radi said.

Sisi warned against threats facing the security and stability of Lebanon, affirming the need to spare Lebanon regional conflicts and to focus on strengthening the Lebanese state institutions, so that it can fulfill its national responsibility in achieving stability.

A number of presidents and premiers took part in the meeting, to aid Lebanon on the political, economic and humanitarian levels, in light of the ongoing hard challenges facing the Lebanese people.

The president, during the virtual meeting, referred to Egypt’s support to Lebanon since the blast occurred early in August, within the framework of Egypt’s responsibilities toward its brotherly Arab nations.

Egyptian support to Lebanon included launching air and sea bridges to transfer humanitarian aid and relief to Lebanon, to compensate the latter’s lost strategic stockpile of essential food.

This comes in addition to an Egyptian field hospital that provides daily medical services to Lebanese people, and has received 80,000 cases so far.