BEIRUT, March 26 (Xinhua) -- Visiting Irish Tanaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Simon Harris announced here Wednesday a humanitarian aid of 2.5 million euros (about 2.7 million U.S. dollars) from Ireland to Lebanon through the UN Humanitarian Fund.
"We hope this contribution will make a tangible difference in improving the lives of the Lebanese people," Harris said in a meeting between a high-level Irish delegation he headed and Lebanese Foreign Minister Youssef Rajji, according to Lebanon's state-owned National News Agency (NNA).
"We trust that decisive reforms and policy measures will be enacted to secure Lebanon's future and promote peace," Harris said, noting Ireland's full commitment to supporting the mission and peacekeeping efforts of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon.
He also reaffirmed Ireland's commitment to strengthening bilateral ties and regional stability, according to the NNA.
For his part, Rajji said Lebanon deeply appreciates Ireland's contributions, particularly its role in UN peacekeeping operations in southern Lebanon, the NNA reported.
In a post published Wednesday on social media platform X following the meeting, Harris wrote that the two sides discussed "ongoing developments in the Middle East and how Ireland can best support Lebanon and the region towards peace." ■
