French President Emmanuel Macron visits the Port of Beirut in Beirut, Lebanon, Aug. 6, 2020.(Dalati & Nohra/Handout via Xinhua)
French President Emmanuel Macron urged on Thursday for the need to create a new political order in Lebanon, MTV local TV channel reported.
"Lebanon is in urgent need for national unity to implement reforms in energy, customs sectors, the fight against corruption in addition to conducting a transparent auditing for the central bank and the whole banking system," Macron said in a press conference held at the Pine Residence.
The president launched a political initiative aimed at helping the Lebanese in adopting a roadmap for the structural reforms while assuring that France and the international community will only help Lebanon if Lebanese authorities succeed in adopting quick reforms.
Macron said he will be back on Sept. 1 to follow up on the reforms adopted by Lebanese authorities.
France will send medical and food support in addition to construction material to rehabilitate destroyed houses while helping in the investigations that have started into the explosions that rocked Beirut on Tuesday, he added.
"We will make sure to help the Lebanese people through the United Nations and the World Bank in cooperation with Non-Governmental Organizations to make sure that assistance goes directly to the Lebanese population," he said.
The French president arrived in Beirut on Thursday in solidarity with Lebanon following Beirut's huge explosions on Tuesday, killing at least 137 people and injuring nearly 5000.
Macron started his trip by visiting the sight of the explosions and Gemmayzeh area which was mostly destroyed by the explosion.
Macron also met with the country's top officials in addition to representatives from different political parties to inform them that he will be pushing for reforms.
