Lebanese Defense Minister follows up with our ambassador in Beirut on Kuwaiti aid to the army

National Defense Minister Major General Michel Mansour followed up on the progress of the Kuwaiti donation to the Lebanese Army during a meeting at his residence in Yarze with Lebanon-based Kuwaiti Ambassador Mohammed Sultan Al-Sharji. The two discussed the general situation in Lebanon and the region, particularly the impact of the recent war on Kuwait.

On another note, Malaysian Defense Minister Mohammed Khalid bin Nordin expressed his country’s desire “to broaden the horizons of bilateral relations” with Lebanon and “to enhance cooperation in various fields, especially with the Lebanese Army,” during a visit to his Lebanese counterpart. He praised the role played by the military institution in safeguarding security and stability, and announced that Malaysia would hand over “a donation to the Lebanese Army, provided by the Malaysian battalion serving within the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), comprising various military equipment and supplies to bolster its capabilities.”

The meeting, attended by Commander of the Joint Malaysian Force Major General Mohd Fuzi bin Tanco Ibrahim, Acting Malaysian Ambassador to Lebanon Johari Arif bin Mohammed Jaafar, and an accompanying delegation, reviewed bilateral relations between Lebanon and Malaysia, ways to develop joint cooperation, and the latest developments in the Lebanese and regional arenas.

Mansour welcomed Bin Nordin, commending Malaysia’s continued support for Lebanon and its active participation in UNIFIL for nearly two decades.

The two sides discussed the phase following the end of UNIFIL’s mandate at the end of this year, as well as ongoing efforts and consultations to explore possible alternatives for the coming period, aimed at supporting security and stability in the south. Mansour also briefed Bin Nordin on the repercussions of Israeli aggression, addressing the “Framework Agreement” and “the necessity of implementing the fundamental provisions related to withdrawal and the ceasefire, neither of which has been realized to date, amid continued Israeli aggression.”