BEIRUT: Canadian Foreign Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne assured “solidarity with Lebanon, government and the people,” after he arrived in Beirut on Wednesday.
Champagne’s visit aims to show solidarity with Lebanon after the horrific explosion that took place in the Beirut port on Aug. 4, which destroyed much of the city, and caused the deaths of 181 civilians, wounding more than 6,000, with many people still missing beneath the rubble. The blast displaced nearly 300,000 people, and initial estimates of material losses range from $10-15 billion.
The Canadian foreign minister expressed “pain” at what had happened on arrival at Rafic Hariri International Airport, two days after the visit of Italian Defense Minister Lorenzo Guerini, who met with officials and visited the Italian field hospital on the campus of the Lebanese University. Guerini also visited the Italian naval vessel San Gusto, anchored in the port of Beirut.
Champagne will meet the President of the Republic Michel Aoun to discuss Canadian aid and readiness to contribute to the reconstruction of Beirut, and to hear from him about Lebanon's technical needs. He will also inspect the site of the explosion, and meet with Lebanese and international humanitarian partners.
The Canadian authorities announced a plan to allocate 30 million Canadian dollars ($22.8 million US), including 8 million in donations from the Canadian public.
The Canadian official’s visit is his first foreign trip after the outbreak of the coronavirus disease pandemic. Champagne has a good relationship with the head of the Lebanese-Canadian Friendship Committee, Representative Faisal El-Khoury, which facilitated the process of communication and coordination between the two parties to secure the necessary Canadian aid to Lebanon.
