Lebanon's Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri and European Commission President Romano Prodi agreed Friday to speed up negotiations for a Euro-Med partnership, which could boost Lebanon’s economy, reported the Daily Star newspaper.
“We have really affirmed our bilateral relations and will take quick steps toward signing,” Prodi told reporters.
“We had a good discussion. (Prodi) is committed to the region and in particular to Lebanon,” Hariri said.
The Daily Star said that Hariri and Prodi agreed that economy and trade minister, Basil Fuleihan, will head the negotiating team in Brussels next week to work out details of an agreement between Lebanon and the European Union.
Hariri said he thought an agreement could be signed in June, “or at least before vacations in August.”
In a major boost for Lebanon, Prodi said the EU had tentatively agreed to import Lebanese produce, an issue that has previously held back an agreement, added the Daily.
“There was a general agreement on accepting Lebanese agricultural products. But we have to translate that into quantitative terms next week,” he said.
The European Union has given over 154 million dollars to Lebanon since 1996 within the framework of the MEDA program, in reference to the program that forms the main financial instrument in the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership.
The EU president said previously, funding was limited. But “with the new cooperation it (MEDA) will be fully realized,” he said.
Prodi arrived in Beirut from Amman Thursday night on the second leg of a Middle East tour.
He is targeting the quest for peace and economic development in the region.
“I came here in this period to reconfirm that our mutual relations will increase in this area,” Prodi said.
The EU official is due to arrive in Damascus on Saturday for talks with Syrian President Bashar Assad and other senior officials -- Albawaba.com
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