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two hours ago
Beirut: Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte arrived in the Lebanese capital, Beirut, on Tuesday, on a visit meant to show his support for Lebanon after the massive explosion in the port of Beirut last month.
Conte begins his two-day visit with a visit to the port of Beirut, to inspect it after the explosion that occurred on August 4, killing 190 people and wounding 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 Lebanese President Michel Aoun, Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri and Prime Minister-designate Mustafa Adib, as well as meetings with representatives of civil society.
In an interview with “L’Orient Le Jour”, the Lebanese daily published in French, Conte said his visit “represents practical proof 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 end 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).
(Dpa)
