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Lebanon to Sign Association Agreement With EU
An association agreement between Lebanon and European Union (EU) is to be signed before this summer to help Lebanon become regional cultural, financial, trade and tourist center.
At a joint news conference Friday with the visiting European Commission President Romano Prodi, Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri said that the two sides will continue the negotiations to reach the agreement as soon as possible.
European Commission is the executive body of EU.
For his part, Prodi said that "there are no obstacles on the way to reach an association agreement." He praised the efforts by Hariri's government to stimulate the economy and reform the structure.
"EU has decided to extend at once an extraordinary aid of 10 million euros (US$9.4 million) for the reconstruction of Israeli-vacated south Lebanon," he said.
He pointed out that "EU is ready to stand by the agreement. We are also happy (about Lebanese) economic reforms because they will give Lebanon a new role in the area."
Regarding the Israeli Prime Minister-elect Ariel Sharon, Prodi stressed that "we should judge him through his action, not just what he said."
The EU is the largest aid donor to Lebanon. Since the signing of the Economic and Financial Cooperation Agreement with the European Economic Community in 1977, Lebanon has received more than 900 million euros (US$846 million) in grants, loans and technical assistance.
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