The Armed Forces Commander General Joseph Aoun with Italian authorities who vowed to help Lebanese Army. (Credit: Lebanese Army Twitter)
BEIRUT — The Lebanese Armed Forces Commander General Joseph Aoun visited Italy and met the Italian Minister of Defense Lorenzo Guerini, who affirmed his country's determination to support the Lebanese Army with all available capabilities, during the economic crisis that has hit the country, one of the worst in the world since the mid-1800s, according to the World Bank.
General Aoun's visit was announced on Wednesday by the Lebanese Army on Twitter.
He also met with the Italian army Chief of Staff, Giuseppe Cavo Dragone, and the Director General of Military Armament in the Italian Ministry of Defense, Major General Luciano Portolano, who stressed the need to help the Lebanese Army.
General Aoun pointed out the importance of securing support for the military establishment, especially with regard to basic needs such as fuel and medicine, in light of the difficult economic conditions the country is going through.
In July, the army received a donation of three buses and two containers of motor oil donated by Italy.
The army regularly receives aid from foreign countries, the most recent being from Qatar which announced $60 million of aid at the beginning of July. According to an army spokesperson, “Qatar has been sending 70 tons of food products to the military institution for around one year which has been hit hard by the economic collapse.” The army had also received around 80 tons of aid including food and cleaning products from Turkey in March.
US President Joe Biden had authorized the donation of $67 million of military assistance for Lebanon’s armed forces to support members of the military as the country faces a steep economic crisis.
The crisis has melted the budget of the state and the armed forces, plunging the majority of the population into poverty. The average salary of a soldier today amounts to less than $100 while it stood at $800 dollars before 2019.