Germany to propose a plan to rebuild the Port of Beirut
The German government will today reveal its proposal to Lebanese officials for reconstructing Beirut’s damaged port.
In August 2020, the Port of Beirut suffered substantial damage after a significant amount of ammonium nitrate exploded in a warehouse. The explosion and subsequent uncontrollable blaze resulted in hundreds of deaths and injuries and the destruction of billions of dollars’ worth of property. Since the tragic event, Lebanon’s flagging economy has deteriorated further. The explosion occurred amid widespread Lebanese protests, which have continued across the country.
Germany’s costly reconstruction plan, which the European Central Bank will presumably finance, aims to provide material support to alleviate Beirut’s monetary troubles and to counter the reconstruction offers of other non-EU states, especially Turkey’s. Berlin also wants the EU to have more authority over Beirut’s policymaking to curb the political mismanagement of the Lebanese government. Expect the EU’s influence in Lebanon’s internal affairs to grow in the short- to medium-term as a reformative Lebanese regime will be in the EU’s best interest. Beirut on the other hand might be more inclined to accept Ankara’s less demanding offer, as the Lebanese government is wary of heavy foreign oversight.
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