Brussels, 09/02/2015 (Agence Europe) - On Monday 9 February, High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini announced that the EU and Lebanon have signed a protocol to an association agreement enabling Lebanon to participate in EU programmes, using the same model as accession candidate countries.
Mogherini stated that this would help promote reform and modernisation in the EU's partner countries, and strengthen the administrative and regulatory convergence between the EU and the partner countries. Mogherini and Lebanon's Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil, also underlined the importance of implementing the objectives agreed upon jointly in the action plan, based on Lebanon's reform agenda. The association agreement between the EU and Lebanon entered into force in 2006.
Mogherini and Bassil also discussed the security situation in Lebanon. Bassil said he hoped for “more [EU] support because the region's needs are ever larger”. He stated that the refugees are a political, security and economic weight, and “besides that, threaten the Lebanese model”. The EU stated that it was ready to continue its aid to address the Syrian crisis.
The Europeans also recalled “the essential importance of ensuring an effective functioning of Lebanon's institutions in line with its constitutional framework”. The EU commended the determination of the Lebanese security forces to protect the stability and security of Lebanon. The two parties also decided to strengthen their cooperation in the fight against terrorism. (Camille-Cerise Gessant)