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Beirut – Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte on Tuesday expressed hope that a new Lebanese government will be formed as soon as possible, in preparation for the launch of the reconstruction process in the country, noting that the time has come to “write a new page in the history of Lebanon “.
“The time has come to look ahead despite all the difficulties, and the time has come to build trust among citizens and institutions and write new pages of Lebanon’s history,” Conte said, quoting the National News Agency. to journalists after their meeting with Lebanese President Michel Aoun at the Baabda Palace in the capital, Beirut.
He added that Italy respects Lebanon’s sovereignty and will remain with the Lebanese people, noting that “the strong relations between Lebanon and Italy are ancient, and Italy has been and will remain on the front line regarding emergency response and rapid reconstruction of the areas affected by the Beirut explosion. “
Conte said: “A very big challenge, but thanks to the Lebanese authorities who can adhere to a path of renewal of the institutions and the government, everything becomes possible, and these demands have been demanded by civil society organizations and civil society organizations. citizens for a long time. “
“This path is worth building for Lebanon to enjoy a prosperous and peaceful future, and I have expressed this position to the President of the Republic and will discuss these considerations with other people I will meet with, and Italy will help support the stability and the economic and social growth of Lebanon “, highlighting that Lebanon may depend on Italy and on the role of Italy. In the European Union and the international community.
Conte considered that the explosion in the port shook not only Lebanon, but the entire international community, pointing to the immediate intervention of his country through the Italian civil defense and sending medical and health aid to Lebanon.
The Italian prime minister indicated that his country was sending a military field hospital with advanced capabilities, and teams from the Italian Army’s Engineering Regiment were sent to work in the port.
Conte arrived in the Lebanese capital, Beirut, on Tuesday, on a visit designed to show support for Lebanon after the massive explosion in the port of Beirut last month.
During his two-day visit, Conte will inspect the port of Beirut after the explosion that hit it on August 4, killing 190 people and injuring about 6,000.
He will also visit the Italian ship that was carrying aid to the firefighters in Beirut, as well as the Italian field hospital on the outskirts of the capital.
Conte plans to hold talks with the Speaker of Parliament, Nabih Berri, and Prime Minister-designate Mustafa Adeeb, as well as meetings with representatives of civil society.
In an interview with the Lebanese daily L’Orient-Le Jour, published in French, Conte said his visit represented “a practical test of Italian solidarity with Lebanon and its people.”
He stressed that Lebanon urgently needs a government that enjoys the trust of the people and with which the international community can deal with reconstruction.
He added to the newspaper: “I hope that the process of forming the new government will be completed soon and that an urgent reform program will begin that will satisfy the legitimate aspirations of the Lebanese people.”
Conte’s visit to Lebanon comes less than two weeks after the visit of Italian Defense Minister Lorenzo Guerrini. Conte plans to visit his country’s battalion as part of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).
