Meeting of the High Level Steering Committee on the Land Border Protection Assistance Program in Yarzeh

A meeting of the High Level Steering Committee for the Land Border Protection Assistance Program was held late this morning at the Army Command headquarters in Yarzeh, in the presence of Army Commander-in-Chief General Rodolph Haykal, U.S. Ambassador Michel Issa, British Ambassador Hamish Cowell, and Canadian Ambassador Gregory Galligan, along with a number of command officers and unit commanders, members of the joint Lebanese-British-American working team, the British Training and Advisory Team (BTAT), and the Canadian Training Assistance Team (CTAT).
The meeting reviewed the phases of the program that have already been implemented, as well as the next steps to address the needs of the military units tasked with securing the northern and eastern borders, combating smuggling and illegal crossings, and the challenges facing these units in light of current developments.
The participating ambassadors also highlighted the importance of the Army’s role in safeguarding Lebanon’s security and stability, commending its professionalism and effectiveness, and stressing the need to support the military institution to strengthen its ability to carry out its missions across all Lebanese territory.
General Haykal also delivered a speech in which he stated: “Our commitment to protecting the borders is final and unwavering. We have exerted significant efforts and made many sacrifices to this end; however, achieving this objective effectively requires advanced and qualitative military support, given the scale of the challenges along the northern and eastern borders.” He emphasized the importance of the assistance provided by the U.S., British, and Canadian authorities to the Army, expressing his appreciation for their continued support amid the current challenges.