Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Mabdouly has said his country is prepared to help Lebanon solve its problems, economic and otherwise, after arriving in Beirut to participate in Thursday’s Arab Economic Forum.
In the morning ahead of the forum, Mabdouly met Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri at the Grand Serail.
Madbouly had arrived at Beirut’s Rafik Hariri airport Wednesday evening, where Hariri had personally received him.
Shortly thereafter, during a dinner at the Egyptian ambassador’s house, Mabdouly said Egyptian businessmen are ready to invest in Lebanon and that his presence in the country shows Egypt’s full support for Lebanon.
“We have full trust that the Lebanese state will be able to overcome any economic challenges,” Mabdouly said.
“But there remain the economic relations. … The numbers we see now are humble, and we need to increase them,” the state-run National News Agency quoted Madbouly as saying.
Madbouly is heading the Egyptian delegation to the 27th Arab Economic Forum, held Thursday in Beirut. Egypt is the “guest country” at this year’s edition of the forum, at which Madbouly and Hariri will be main speakers.
The premier was accompanied by Egyptian International Cooperation Minister Sahar Nasr, Petroleum and Mineral Resources Minister Tarek El-Molla, Communications and Information Technology Minister Amr Talaat, Trade and Industry Minister Amr Nassar, Manpower Minister Mohamed Saafan and Cabinet Secretary-General Maj. Gen. Atef Abdel-Fattah.
He will also meet separately with President Michel Aoun and Speaker Nabih Berri, and will head the Egyptian side in a joint Lebanese-Egyptian higher committee to discuss bilateral ties and sign agreements.
The Daily Star
02/05/2019
