Minister of Defence Jana Černochová visited Lebanon on March 16-18, 2023. With her counterpart Minister Maurice Sleem, she discussed the security situation in Europe and in the Middle East, as well as possibilities of further material aid for the Lebanese Armed Forces and security services. On this occasion, the Ministers signed the Memorandum of Understanding on mutual cooperation that will facilitate further development of the bilateral defence relations.
Jana Černochová is the first Czech Defence Minister to officially visit Lebanon. “I am honoured to be in Lebanon for the historically first visit on the level of Defence Ministers. Lebanon is undoubtedly our important partner in the Middle East, and is instrumental to the stabilisation of the region,” Minister Černochová stated in the opening of the call with her counterpart. Minister Sleem highly valued the long history of mutual relations and expressed confidence in their further strengthening. “I am confident the Memorandum of Understanding we just signed will open the door for further cooperation between our countries,” Minister Sleem added.
War in Ukraine impacting Beirut too
Lebanon is going through a deep economic crisis, which was aggravated by the Covid-19 pandemic, the explosion in the Beirut port, a migration wave from Syria and the war in Ukraine. Almost 80% of all goods is imported into Lebanon, including supplies of grain from Eastern Europe, which Beirut depends on.
The war in Ukraine hence directly impacts the developments in Lebanon. Beirut nevertheless adopted a clear stance against the Russian invasion at the very beginning of the conflict. “I very much appreciate Lebanon’s decision to repeatedly support Ukraine in the UN and vote for the General Assembly resolutions condemning the Russian aggression and Russian annexation of Ukrainian territories,” Minister Černochová stated.
“Lebanon is against any form of aggression, and we firmly believe independence of all countries must be respected,” Minister Maurice Sleem underscored. “I strongly hope that peace and stability will again prevail in Europe, because the citizens do not deserve the current situation,” he added.
Material aid for Lebanon going on
The Czech Ministry of Defence regards Lebanon as the key country for countering terrorism and for protection against illegal migration. The MoD acts upon authorisation by the Government of the Czech Republic to help stabilise the political and economic situation through providing material aid for the Lebanese Armed Forces and security services. Since 2021, Lebanon received nearly 47 tons of aid, especially food and medical materiel, from the Czech Republic.
Besides her counterpart, Minister Černochová also met the Commander of the Armed Forces Lieutenant General Joseph Aoun and Director of the General Security Brigadier General Elias Baissari.
“I am pleased to have the opportunity to personally bring another portion of material aid, specifically ultrasound devices for the Lebanese Armed Forces hospital in Beirut and for the General Security Medical Centre. In addition, we managed to donate a defibrillator to the Baalbek State Hospital,” Minister Černochová underlined after visiting the three hospitals and making the donations in person.
Lebanese representatives realise the importance of international aid, because it is closely associated with the provision of the government’s basic functions. “Material and financial aid from international partners is key for sustaining the capabilities of the Lebanese Armed Forces and in turn for maintaining security and stability in the country. I am very grateful for all aid the Czech Republic has provided to us so far,” Lieutenant General Aoun emphasised.
Two Czechoslovak servicemembers rest in Lebanon
Minister Černochová also covered history during the meetings. There are two war graves of Czechoslovak servicemembers in the territory of Lebanon, both from the period of World War II. The first one, buried at the Commonwealth Military Cemetery in Beirut, is according to the recent research by the Military History Institute Prague almost certainly Karel Weiner, who was our first fatality in the Middle East.
The second grave is located at the Rayak Air Base and holds remnants of Lieutenant Bohuslav Novák. He fought as a pilot in the Free French Forces. “On behalf of the Ministry of Defence of the Czech Republic, I would like to extend our gratitude for the care for Czechoslovak war graves in your territory,” Minister Černochová said. She personally honoured the memory of Czechoslovak soldiers and airmen at the grave of Karel Weiner and the memorial of the fallen in the Commonwealth Military Cemetery Beirut.
- For more pictures see: https://army.cz/-242761/