Off the wire
• Spaniards to spend big hoping to win Christmas lottery  • AU, Somali forces capture village in central region  • Foreign exchange rate of euro to other currencies  • WHO enhances disease detection, response in South Sudan  • Kenyan runners must prove fitness prior to London worlds: coach  • Tanzania plans to overhaul national airline's management: official  • Spanish stock market rises 0.33 pct, closes at 8,687 points  • Turkey to introduce new anti-tobacco measures  • Roundup: Bank of Cyprus to leave Athens Stock Exchange, enlist with LSE  • Iranian president calls for further military exchange with China  
You are here: 　 Home

EU to allocate 514 mln USD to Lebanon to ease Syrian refugee crisis

Xinhua, November 16, 2016 Adjust font size:

The European Union (EU) will allocate at least 480 million euros (514 million U.S. dollars) to Lebanon in two years, aiming to improve the living condition of Syrian refugees in Lebanon and their host communities, according to a compact adopted on Tuesday.

The EU's foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini and Lebanese Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil jointly made the announcement here.

"Today's decision is a clear political sign of the EU's commitment and special relationship to Lebanon," said Mogherini at the press conference, adding, "because we know very well it is essential to support the hosting communities in their work."

Under the EU-Lebanon compact, the bloc will allocate at least 400 million euros in addition to the bilateral assistance of more than 80 million euros to Lebanon in two years.

In turn, Lebanon commits to ease the temporary stay of Syrian refugees, in particular regarding their residency status.

Lebanon currently hosts at least 1.1 million Syrians. The two sides on Tuesday also adopted partnership priorities for the coming four years, including security and countering terrorism, governance and the rule of law, fostering growth and job opportunities, as well as migration and mobility.

"Lebanon is the first country with whom the European Union is signing this very ambitious strategic framework. We are very keen to implement the commonly identified priorities and commitments," said Mogherini. Enditem