​President Aoun: “Austria supports the return of refugees to their country and encourages providing aid inside Syria”.

Minister Schallenberg: “Austria will continue to stand by Lebanon and its people. The EU is ready to help immediately upon agreement with the International Monetary Fund”.

Minister Schallenberg to President Aoun: “You play a pivotal role in maintaining the Lebanon’s stability and in pushing for the necessary reforms”.

President of the Republic, General Michel Aoun, asserted the importance of the negotiations which Lebanon is conducting with the International Monetary Fund in preparation for a way out of its current crisis.

The President also pointed to the presence of good will for the success of these negotiations on both sides, calling on Austria to support the return of Syrian refugees to their country, especially in light of the establishment of security in most of the Syrian regions.

President Aoun’s positions came while meeting with Austrian Foreign Minister, Alexander Schallenberg, today at Baabda Palace.

The Austrian Foreign Minister was accompanied by Austria's Ambassador to Lebanon RENE PAUL AMRY, ANDREA BACHER's Adviser to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Head of the Middle East Department GEROLD VOLIMER.

At the beginning of the meeting, Minister Schallenberg thanked President Aoun for receiving him, and said that he carries a message of friendship to Lebanon. 

"It is not a coincidence that the first visit of the Austrian Foreign Minister this year to Lebanon is based on the close relations that have long linked the two countries and will continue in the future” Minister Schallenberg said, indicating that he inspected the Austrian unit in the emergency forces and refugee camps and conducted political talks, based on Austria’s desire to follow up on the concerning developments taking place in Lebanon.

Referring to the financial assistance provided by Austria within humanitarian aid during the refugee crisis, the Austrian Minister expressed his aspiration to come one day to Lebanon to discuss economic and commercial cooperation and business development.  Minister Schallenberg also said that this year Austria will continue to provide humanitarian aid as it did in the past, as "We will continue to stand by you and the Lebanese people in the hope that the future will be brighter in the fight against the Corona crisis and the economic crisis”.

In addition, Minister Schallenberg addressed President Aoun stating, "You play a pivotal role that contributes to maintaining the stability of the country and you are a prominent and pivotal figure in pushing for the necessary reforms in order to overcome the current impasse”.

Minister Schallenberg also stressed the importance of passing the necessary laws in order to complete negotiations with the International Monetary Fund and formulate policies, and pointed out that the European Union is ready to provide enormous economic assistance as soon as an agreement is reached with the IMF.

President Aoun:

For his part, the President welcomed the Austrian minister, wishing to convey his greetings to President Alexander Van der Bellen, recalling his meeting with him during his visit to Lebanon in 2018. 

President Aoun thanked Austria for its contributions to the international forces operating in the south, stressing the importance of relations between the two friendly countries.

The President also pointed out to the difficult situation that Lebanon is going through, and referred to the succession of crises, starting with the debt situation that the country suffers from, passing through the Syrian crisis and its repercussions, especially the issue of the massive Syrian displacement, which has constituted a huge burden on its economy for about 10 years, “While Lebanon did not receive the amount of aid that other countries hosting refugees received, in addition to the demonstrations it witnessed and the impact of the Corona pandemic and the explosion of the Port of Beirut on its economy”. 

“We have started negotiating with the International Monetary Fund, and we hope that negotiations will succeed in light of the good will of us and the IMF” the President said, thanking Austria and the European Union for helping Lebanon at various levels.

Moreover, President Aoun stressed the importance of the relations linking Lebanon with Austria, and appreciated Austrian assistance in overcoming many of Lebanese crises. 

Finally, President Aoun called on Austria to support the return of Syrian refugees to their country, especially in light of the establishment of security in most Syrian regions, and to encourage the United Nations and donor countries to grant them aid inside Syria.

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