US President Donald Trump released Sunday a statement whereby he praised Lebanon’s government for boosting security and economy, stressing that the United States of America is proud of its relation with Lebanon and supports its government.
Trump’s statement coincided with the closing of the Cedre conference held in Paris, where Lebanon received pledges of loans and grants exceeding $11 billion.
In the statement distributed by the White House, Trump said: “Lebanon is facing many challenges, including an unprecedented influx of refugees and the corrosive influence of Iran and Hezbollah, as we can see from the success of this conference, Lebanon is ... a country with many friends and enormous potential.”
“I commend the government of Lebanon’s progress, under the leadership of Prime Minister Saad Hariri, to address these pressing challenges,” Trump was quoted as saying in the statement.
The US president also expressed support for the plans to strengthen Lebanon’s economy through its Capital Investment Plan and its commitment to implement necessary reforms, including combating corruption, increasing transparency and improving accountability and fiscal management.