French President’s Office Confirms Macron to Visit Beirut Sept. 1
Arab World
Asharq Al-Awsat
French President Emmanuel Macron will travel to Beirut on Sept. 1, his office said on Wednesday. Macron was the first foreign leader to visit Beirut after a massive blast destroyed parts of the Lebanese capital in early August. Macron has taken the lead role in coordinating the international response and has chaired a virtual aid conference that drummed up more than 250 million euros ($295 million) in pledges. The devastating explosion that was likely caused by a huge stockpile of ammonium nitrate stored at a warehouse at Beirut Port has killed and injured thousands of people and left an estimated 300,000 homeless. Many questions have been raised as to how such a huge cargo of highly explosive material could have been left unsecured for years. During his Beirut visit, the French president took a tough tone on the reforms he said were the only thing holding back a massive aid package that could put the ailing country back in the saddle. Speaking of Lebanon's political leaders, Macron said: "Their responsibility is huge, that of a revamped pact with the Lebanese people in the coming weeks, that of deep change."
from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/2470731/french-president%E2%80%99s-office-confirms-macron-visit-beirut-sept-1
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