Lebanese Prime Minister Salim Hoss said Sunday that no important financial aid was expected from donor states taking part later this month in the first international meeting on rebuilding south Lebanon after the end of Israeli occupation in May.
"We do not expect the first meeting on July 27th to adopt decisions for any defined financial commitments to help Lebanon," Hoss said in a statement. "We should not build unrealistic hopes on the first meeting."
Hoss said Lebanon agreed with the United Nations that "the conference of donor countries and organizations be held in two phases."
The July 27th meeting, at the ambassadorial level, will "study Lebanon's needs for development and reconstruction, focusing on the liberated regions and nearby areas," he said.
"We will be presenting participants with Lebanon's urgent needs for a funding program for the urgent works requested in the liberated regions and nearby areas," he said.
"This will pave the way for a larger meeting to be held at the ministerial level in October ... which will witness defined financial commitments from donor countries and organizations to help cover costs for the development and reconstruction plan," he said.
Hoss said, however, that Lebanon has already started receiving financial aide, although if it was "not enough."
A number of countries have already announced their participation in the donors' conference, including the United States, France, Italy and Saudi Arabia. The European Union also plans to take part in the meeting - BEIRUT (AFP)
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