Polish FM calls Lebanse counterpart, pledges Poland's help

Polish Foreign Minister Jacek Czaputowicz on Wednesday held a telephone conversation with Lebanon's new minister of foreign affairs, Charbel Wehbe, to convey his condolences after the Beirut blast killed at least 135 people and injured nearly 5,000.

During the call, made on the Polish initiative, Czaputowicz declared Poland's readiness to aid the Lebanese government in actions taken to stabilise the difficult situation, the foreign ministry said in a statement.

The Polish official told his counterpart that Poland was sending to Lebanon trained Polish rescuers, medical personnel and first aid supplies as part of the support.

The statement added that Lebanon is one of the priority countries in respect of Polish humanitarian and development aid and that a number of projects dedicated to Syrian refugees and local communities are being implemented on site by Poland.

"Poland as the largest ERI (Economic Resilience Initiative) donor supports the development of professional activity and infrastructure investments for refugees and the poorest members of Lebanese society. Since 2019, the Polish Military Contingent has been participating in the UN operation (UNIFIL), currently 216 Polish soldiers are stationed in Lebanon," the foreign ministry said.