After a month-long political crisis, Lebanon has embarked on a new phase that will âhopefully mark a promising step on the path of recoveryâ, the countryâs President old the 76th session of the UN General Assembly on Friday.
Via a video-message, President Michel Aoun assured world leaders that despite internal or international challenges, Lebanonâs new Government, formed this month, would âearn the confidence of both the people and the international communityâ.
âUnprecedentedâ crises
As successive crises âexploded simultaneouslyâ over the past two years, Lebanon has known its hardest times, according to the President.
âIndeed, the financial and economic policies adopted for decades and built upon the profit-based pattern, in addition to corruption and waste that resulted from bad management and absence of accountability, had pushed Lebanon into an unprecedented financial and monetary crisis which led to economic stagnation, a stifling livelihood crisis, and growing in unemployment, migration and poverty ratesâ, Mr. Aoun elaborated.
However, he informed the Assembly that the Government has committed to carry out its pressing financial and economic reforms; fight corruption; and lay down a safety net plan.
The President also noted that Lebanon relies on the international community to finance vital projects to revitalize economy, create jobs and help the nation recover from âcorruption crimesâ.
Impacts of Syrian war
Regional wars have also contributed to the nationâs crises, especially that of Syria, which has caused more than 1.5 million to stream into Lebanon.
He painted a picture of âthe catastrophic outcomesâ of displacement on economic, social, health and security, appealing to the international community to help secure the safe return of those displaced.
South of the border
The President reiterated Lebanonâs position of rejecting further Palestinian refugees, âbased on the necessity to find a solution to the Palestinian issueâ.
He also drew attention to âpersistent Israeli threatsâ as Lebanonâs âmain concernâ, while also highlighting Jerusalemâs efforts to explore for oil and gas in the disputed area on the maritime borders.
President Aoun condemned attempts to transgress the boundaries of the Exclusive Economic Zone and demanded that indirect negotiations for the demarcation of the Southern maritime borders be resumed according to international laws.
Coronavirus repercussions
Repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic were âexponentially greaterâ in Lebanon because they exacerbated an already shaky economy; a health sector grappling with drug shortage, medical supplies and fuel; and a human drain of doctors and nurses who migrated for economic reasons.
To date, the countryâs vaccination rate reached 30 per cent and the President said, âwe are striving to surpass the 40 per cent goal by the end of the yearâ.
Beirut explosion, one year later
Amid these crises, the catastrophic Beirut Port blast came to further aggravate the suffering.
âToday, more than a year later, our capital continues to be quiet and dark, as it remains a disaster-stricken cityâ, he said.
Describing âcommendableâ international solidarity, he stressed that Lebanon is investigating the causes and circumstances of the explosion and has made many arrests.
In closing, President Aoun said, âas Lebanon tries tenaciously to work its way towards recovery, it relies on international solidarity to achieve its goalsâ.
Read the full statement here.
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