Kuwaiti schoolgirls visit Lebanon

February 02, 2010

BEIRUT: Kuwait has contributed a total of $300 million to reconstruction efforts in Lebanon following the Israeli war on the country in the summer of 2006. This was announced by Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development (KFAED) Country Representative Mohamed Sadeqi yesterday on the occasion of a current visit by Kuwait's brilliant schoolgirls.

The visit has been organized by the KFAED for Kuwaiti girls to encourage them to maintain their brilliance and to boost their national loyalty, he said.

The Kuwaiti fund established an office in Lebanon in January 2007 to set out a strategy of action for contributing to reconstruction efforts in the country, he added.

Kuwait is in the forefront of those countries which provide aid and assistance to Lebanon thanks to distinguished relations between Kuwait and Lebanon, Sadeqi pointed out. The fund has used its aid in serving various development sectors in Lebanon, including the building of new schools, hospitals and emergency centers, he said.

The KFAED has pledged to rebuild 24 villages and restoring over 11,000 housing units in south Lebanon, he added. Meanwhile, Kuwaiti Ambassador in Lebanon Abdelal al-Qenai hailed Kuwaiti-Lebanese relations as firm and strong. The ambassador said Kuwait attaches much attention to economic and social development in Lebanon, mainly water, electricity and sewage projects.

Lebanon was in the forefront of those countries which condemned the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait, he said. At the end of the meeting, the visiting Kuwaiti girls presented a commemorative shield to the Kuwaiti ambassador.