Summary
An international conference hosted in Paris Wednesday voiced verbal support for Lebanon's Army and economy as the country grapples with the spillover effects of the war in neighboring Syria, but the meeting fell short of pledging tangible assistance.
Saudi Arabia announced last December that it provided the poorly equipped Lebanese Army with a $3 billion grant under which it would receive arms it needed from France.
Sleiman said he was glad that internal and external sides had confidence in the military establishment, which had proven to be a symbol of national unity and a guarantor of civil peace and democracy.
He welcomed the progress in economic support for Lebanon, realized with the establishment of the Multi-Donor Trust Fund for Lebanon.
Hollande added that the meeting should focus on more than just "moral and political" support, urging donor states to provide training and equipment to the Lebanese Army. He said his country and the international community supported Lebanon on the political, military and economic levels and would help the country in addressing the crisis of Syrian refugees.
At the end of the conference, Sleiman thanked Paris for hosting the event and hoped the international support would encourage local and regional powers to distance Lebanon from regional conflicts.
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