International Support Group pledges aid to Lebanon with a reformed government

An international group comprising several Western countries on Tuesday stipulated the formation of a reformist government in Lebanon to help him economically, at a time when the country has witnessed nearly two months of massive protests that led to a political crisis.

In a statement read by French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, at the conclusion of a meeting in Paris, the group, which was founded in 2013, and includes France, the United States, Germany, Italy, Britain, the European Union, Russia and the United Nations, in addition to representatives of international financial institutions, expressed concern about the crisis Lebanon faces It places it in front of what it described as the risk of economic chaos and lack of stability.

She said that maintaining Lebanon's stability, security, and independence requires the immediate formation of a government, adding that this government must have the ability and credibility to carry out economic reforms, and keep the country away from regional tensions and crises.

The group added that Lebanon should adopt sustainable and reliable reforms to face the long-term challenges in the national economy, noting that these measures should reflect the aspirations of the Lebanese people.

Prior to the end of the Paris meeting, dozens of Lebanese staged a sit-in in front of the French embassy in Beirut to ask the French government to freeze the payment of any money to Lebanon until what they described as a government of honest experts is formed.

The sitters sent a letter to French President Emmanuel Macron calling on him to stop financial aid to the resigned Lebanese government, which must seek to appoint an honest prime minister, and the formation of a government of experts to restore confidence, they said.

Al-Jazeera correspondent in Beirut said that the protestors spoke in their message about the failure of the economic policies of the power parties, the spread of corruption, impunity in state institutions, and the paralysis of the judicial system.

Conditional funds
Commenting on the Paris meeting, political analyst Michel Abu Negm considered that other countries will not help Lebanon unless the Lebanese help themselves by finding a solution first to the government's dilemma.

Abu Najm told Al Jazeera Net that the conference will not provide its funds for free or without conditions for Lebanon, adding that the countries that will support Lebanon want to know how to spend their money and "not subject to piracy of the system of corruption and looting in Lebanon as usual or in previous assistance."

For his part, economic researcher Ziad Nasser Al-Din considered that the meeting of the International Support Group is nothing but a dose of analgesics in overtime.

Nasser Al-Din told Al-Jazeera Net that the international community is currently willing to support Lebanon in terms of food security due to the suspension of bank credits and the provision of funds for import. He added that the international meeting is a kind of assistance with "Al Qattara", given that Lebanon has not been able to carry out structural economic reforms.

Aoun is optimistic
For his part, Lebanese President Michel Aoun said on Tuesday that Lebanon will pass the difficult stage, adding that the generalization of the accusation of corruption to everyone has lost the confidence of the Lebanese in their leadership and has negatively affected Lebanon's reputation abroad.

Aoun met with Senior Adviser to the British Ministry of Defense for Middle East Affairs, General John Lorimer, where he assured him of the continued British support for the Lebanese army and his country's desire to form a new Lebanese government to complete cooperation in all fields.

The Lebanese security forces had reopened subsidiary roads that were closed by protesters in the North and Bekaa governorates, in protest against the postponement by the Lebanese Presidency of parliamentary consultations to name a new Prime Minister for a week until next Monday.

As part of the ongoing protests since last October 17, a car march toured Tuesday evening near a number of officials' homes in Beirut.

The activists' convoy was attacked by security personnel in the Verdun area, near the house of the Speaker of Parliament, which resulted in injuries and car crashes. The activists of the movement accused the security forces charged with protecting the house of the speaker of parliament, of assaulting them and preventing them from completing their march.