Saudi and French foreign ministers agree on funding humanitarian projects for Lebanon
March 1, 2022, 8:07 am

Saudi and French foreign ministers agree on funding humanitarian projects for Lebanon

Lebanon-Beirut Port blast

The Asharq Al-Awsat reported, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah held talks in Paris on Monday with his French counterpart Jean-Yves Le Drian.

Talks focused on the latest regional and international developments. They also tackled Saudi-French ties and ways to bolster them in all fields.

The meeting at the French Foreign Ministry addressed coordination between Riyadh and Paris on Lebanon and the suffering of its people as a result of the severe economic and humanitarian crises they are enduring.

They agreed to fund several humanitarian projects dedicated to the Lebanese people. The projects will provide direct aid to several hospitals and primary healthcare facilities in Lebanon.

They will also raise the level of healthcare in fighting the coronavirus pandemic. They will provide funds to organizations that distribute baby formula and food to the neediest segments of society.

Paris city in France (File photo: Pixabay)

On Yemen, Prince Faisal and Le Drian underscored the importance of efforts dedicated to reaching a comprehensive political solution to its crisis.

Paris stressed its support to the Saudi peace initiative on Yemen that was proposed in March 2021 and it strongly condemned the Iran-backed Houthi militias for launching armed drones and ballistic missiles at the Kingdom.

On Iran, both sides stressed the importance of reaching any agreement that prevents Tehran from developing or acquiring nuclear weapons.

International pressure to push Lebanon to hold parliamentary elections on time

The report noted that ministers underlined the need to maintain coordination to confront challenges and bolster regional security.

Source: aawsat

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Upon arriving to participate in the summit of the European Political Community, which includes around forty heads of state in Budapest, he said, "I look forward to sitting with the elected U.S. president and seeing how we will collectively ensure we meet challenges, including the threats from Russia and North Korea." He also noted that the strengthening of ties between Russia and North Korea poses a threat to the United States as well, according to reports from Agence France-Presse.

Before Trump's victory, Rutte expressed confidence that a united Washington would remain part of the defensive alliance, even if Trump became the 47th president of the United States. In an interview with German public broadcaster ZDF last Monday night, he stated that both Republicans and Democrats understand that NATO serves not only the security of Europe but also that of America. He added that both candidates are aware that the security of the United States is closely tied to NATO.

On Wednesday, NATO congratulated Trump on his victory but did not address the Ukrainian issue.

It is noteworthy that the relationship between the elected U.S. president and the defense alliance was not the best during his first term in the White House. Trump criticized NATO member states multiple times and even hinted at withdrawing from the alliance unless they increased their financial contributions.

Additionally, the issue of the Russian-Ukrainian war is one of the matters that complicate relations between the two sides, especially since Trump has repeatedly stated that he can end this ongoing conflict, which began in 2022, quickly. He implied that he had a peace plan between Kyiv and Moscow, while his vice president, JD Vance, revealed aspects of that plan, which stipulated Ukraine's commitment not to join NATO, thereby sending reassuring signals to the Russians.

Furthermore, many NATO member states in Europe fear that Trump might halt military aid to Ukraine after he previously criticized the U.S. for pouring funds into supporting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.