A European military delegation is coming to Lebanon on an important mission, European diplomatic sources told the Al-Joumhouria newspaper on Wednesday.
The delegation, representing the European Union, is set to arrive in Beirut on Wednesday, according to the sources.
Its scheduled meetings will commence on Thursday, starting with a morning meeting with Lebanese President Michel Aoun in Baabda Palace.
After seeing the president, the military delegation will have meetings with officials at the Defense Ministry and other locations, according to the information.
The goal of the visit is to assess the needs of the Lebanese Armed Forces and Lebanon’s security agencies, leading to an assistance package from the EU, the sources told the newspaper.
The move follows U.S. President Joe Biden’s Tuesday announcement that his country would provide an aid package of $47 million to the Lebanese Army.
It also comes after Lebanese caretaker Interior Minister Mohammad Fahmi revealed that the Internal Security Forces had been seeing an increase in desertions among its ranks, due to the prevailing economic crisis.
Not only are soldiers and law enforcement personnel suffering the repercussions of the crisis alongside their Lebanese compatriates, but they are also having to deal with the additional operational pressures of nationwide social unrest and increased crime.
