حزب اللبنانيون الجدد الموقع الرسمي
multi-billion-dollar plan to rebuild the port of Beirut
German companies revealed last Friday a multi-billion-dollar plan to rebuild the port of Beirut and the surrounding area, 8 months after a devastating explosion of ammonium nitrate killed more than 200 people, injured more than 3000, displaced thousands of others and destroyed half of the capital. The explosion was, in fact, the “coup de grâce”to a country severely hit by an economic crisis that has been pushing the country into collapse. The proposal to rebuild the port and its surrounding area would be financed by the European Investment Bank (EIB) and would range between 5 and 10 billion dollars, as estimated by the companies in question.
On the other hand, France showed interest ever since the explosion in the reconstruction of the port, which would allow it to place a foot in the region and block the way for China and Russia. Germany and France would have to agree between them on who’s going to lead the reconstruction process, as the US seems relieved to see the Europeans handling the Lebanese Port reconstruction project for it would block the road for China to further expand its presence in the region, especially after the strategic 25-years partnership plan signed between Iran and China lately.
The reconstruction plan whether executed by Germany or France would not take place unless the Lebanese leaders will form a government capable of implementing major reforms that would restore confidence in the Lebanese market and attract investors to contribute financially to the reconstruction of the port.
While the German proposal seems promising, especially on the touristic front, Lebanese engineers have also designed a vision for the reconstruction of the port of Beirut. The aim of the Lebanese group of engineers is to put the port of Beirut back on the map and restore its place at the top of the commercial ports of the region due to its strategic location between Asia and Europe. Rendering the port a touristic destination would be an added value but should not come at the detriment of the role the port of Beirut can play on economic and commercial fronts.
Unfortunately, nothing seemed to have worked in the past months to push Lebanese leaders to form a government capable of handling the crisis properly, let us hope that the reconstruction plan for the port, whether executed by Lebanese engineers or European ones would entice Lebanese leaders to form a government capable of undertaking reforms to curb the collapse of the country, otherwise, the Lebanese citizens would only see themselves go deeper into poverty.
Cindy Farhat
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Lebanese revolution – ثورة 17 تشرين – اللبنانيون الجدد
