Politics

Hariri visits Egypt amid efforts to end deadlock in Lebanon

Cairo, Jul 14 (EFE).- Lebanese prime minister-designate Saad Hariri on Wednesday met Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi during a visit he paid to Egypt amid efforts to end the political deadlock in Lebanon.

Al-Sisi showed Egypt’s “full support” for the endeavors to form a government in Lebanon, less than a month before the first anniversary of the devastating Beirut port explosion, which had serious repercussions in Lebanese politics.

The Lebanese government resigned on 10 August 2020, less than a week after the blast. Hassan Diab has been acting as the caretaker prime minister as Hariri, named in October, has yet to form a new executive.

During the meeting Wednesday, the Egyptian president stressed “the importance of concerted efforts by all parties to settle any differences in this context to get Lebanon out of the situation,” according to the spokesperson for the Egyptian presidency.

Egyptian foreign minister Sameh Shoukry and the head of the General Intelligence Directorate Abbas Kamel took part in the meeting that also addressed ways to strengthen the bilateral cooperation between “the two brotherly countries”, according to the source.

Hariri applauded Egypt’s “tireless and sincere” efforts to mobilize international support for Lebanon amid “the tough challenges faced by the Lebanese people, especially at the political and economic level”.

The country is experiencing its worst economic crisis since a years-long civil war that ended in 1990, with hyperinflation, continuous power cuts and shortages of medicines, medical supplies and fuel.

The Lebanese pound has lost more than 90% of its value since 2019. EFE

ta/jt

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