Germany pledges assistance of 10 million euros to Lebanon

Visiting German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier pledged a contribution of 10 million Euros to assist Lebanon in dealing with the burden of refugees, media reports said.

Steinmeier highlighted the importance of reaching a solution to the Syrian war, following a joint press conference with his Lebanese counterpart Gebran Bassil.

"The Lebanese people managed to overcome political obstacles in order to build a better future for their country," Xinhua news agency quoted Steinmeier as saying.

For his part, Bassil hailed Berlin's role in ensuring safety and stability that could only be "anchored through the eradication of terrorism".

"Lebanon suffers from a shortage of resources while it is receiving the largest number of refugees," Bassil said, thanking Germany for its help in this context.

Steinmeier arrived in Beirut on Friday and held a meeting with President Michel Aoun at the presidential palace.

Aoun described the Lebanese-German relations as "excellent" adding that both countries work for the sake of accomplishing peace in the Middle East through adopting fair political solutions.

--IANS

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