khazen.org offers its complete support to the  President General Michel Sleiman  as the Commander in Chief of all of Lebanon. The presidency office is key for Lebanese prosperity and security. We thank President Sleiman for his leadership. We strongly reject any attacks or disrespect to the office of the presidency.

 

From L-R, Lebanon’s President Michel Suleiman, French President Francois Hollande and U.N. Under Secretary-General for Political Affairs Jeffrey Feltman attend the joint Declaration and Meeting of the International Support Group for Lebanon at the Elysee Palace in Paris March 5, 2014.

 

French president Francois Hollande (L) welcomes his Lebanese counterpart Michel Sleiman prior to their meeting on March 5, 2014 in Paris (AFP Photo/Alain Jocard)

 

Lebanese President Michel Suleiman (L) looks on as French President Francois Hollande (2ndL) speaks with Russian Foreign Affairs Minister Sergei Lavrov (C), U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry (R), and French Foreign Affairs Minister Laurent Fabius (2nd R) during the joint Meeting of the International Support Group for Lebanon at the Elysee Palace in Paris, March 5, 2014. REUTERS/Alain Jocard/Pool (FRANCE – Tags: POLITICS)

 

 

Lebanese President Michel Sleiman (L) speaks with US Secretary of State John Kerry at the Elysee presidential palace in Paris, on March 5, 2014 (AFP Photo/Kevin Lamarque)

 

French President Francois Hollande (2ndR) and Lebanon’s President Michel Suleiman (R) greets U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry (2ndL) who stands with French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius (L) at the joint Declaration and Meeting of the International Support Group for Lebanon at the Elysee Palace in Paris, March 5, 2014. REUTERS/Jacky Naegelen (FRANCE – Tags: POLITICS)

 

French president Francois Hollande (L) welcomes his Lebanese counterpart Michel Sleiman prior to their meeting on March 5, 2014 in Paris (AFP Photo/Alain Jocard)

 

 

Paris (AFP) – Lebanese President Michel Sleiman on Wednesday sought financial and military aid to help his country tackle the spillover from the Syrian conflict at an international meeting in Paris.

The influx of Syrian refugees — currently running at 50,000 a month — "represents a real danger which threatens Lebanon’s unity," Sleiman said ahead of the meeting of the International Support Group for Lebanon.

The meeting was attended by the foreign ministers of 10 countries, including Britain, China, France, Russia, the United States, Germany and Saudi Arabia.

"There are more than one million Syrian refugees in Lebanon," said French President Francois Hollande. "It is a very heavy burden."

Hollande, who has previously said France is willing to assist Lebanon in any way it needs, said the meeting should focus on more than just "moral and political" support — calling for donors to provide training and equipment to Lebanese troops.

Financial measures were also due for discussion, including aid grants and a World Bank-managed trust fund designed to boost the Lebanese economy.

Saudi Arabia in December pledged $3 billion (2.1 billion euros) to bolster Lebanon’s army. Lebanese sources say its army needs some $4.6 billion over the next five years to modernise and re-equip.

The International Support Group for Lebanon was set up six months ago to deal with the spillover from the conflict in neighbouring Syria.