LOC18:32
15:32 GMT
BEIRUT, May 7 (KUNA) -- Lebanon's President Joseph Aoun on Wednesday heaped praise on the role of a Kuwait-based fund towards reconstruction efforts in Beirut, saying such aid was instrumental in pushing forward a national recovery process.
Expressing his gratitude for the support of "friendly" Arab nations, singling out the aid given to Beirut by the Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development (AFESD), the Lebanese president told the visiting Kuwait-based fund's chief Bader Al-Saad that AFESD has immensely contributed to reconstruction efforts in Lebanon.
In the face of the trying circumstances faced by Lebanon and the region as a whole, he said that he remained "optimistic" that with the aid provided by international bodies, coupled with a spate of national reforms his government has introduced, Beirut would be able to rise again, he underlined.
Describing Kuwait's ties with Beirut as "deep-rooted," the AFESD chief said his visit to Lebanon aims to serve as a catalyst towards propping up reconstruction efforts there after a "years-long" halt of such aid, citing the healthcare and education sectors as the ultimate beneficiaries of the renewed support.
He went on to say that the Kuwait-based fund hopes to be the leading aid body operating in Lebanon, saying that a number of development projects are in the works running the gamut from energy and healthcare to infrastructure.
Equally grateful for the Kuwaiti fund's aid, Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said AFESD was among Lebanon's most integral partners when it comes to development aid, hoping that bilateral cooperation would continue to reach loftier levels. (end)
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