Lebanese President Joseph Aoun used a Saturday visit to Tripoli to call for state support for its port and say planned projects would create jobs for residents.
The National and L’Orient Today described the visit as the first by a sitting Lebanese president since Michel Sleiman traveled to the city on Nov. 13, 2011. A contemporaneous LBCI report covered Sleiman’s trip that day. L’Orient-Le Jour reported that Sleiman also visited Tripoli in November 2014, after leaving office.
At Tripoli Serail, Aoun linked public confidence in the state to whether residents could obtain public services. He said projects were planned to create jobs, but the reports did not name them or provide budgets, delivery dates or expected job numbers. The reports did not identify a funding source or who would pay for the work.
The National reported that Aoun’s stops included the Rachid Karami International Fair, the special economic zone, Tripoli Port and the Palace of Justice. At the courthouse, The National and L’Orient Today reported, he stressed the need to fight corruption and maintain an independent judiciary.
At the port, Aoun said Tripoli had an opportunity to become an important regional port and called for state support for its development, L’Orient Today reported. The outlet described Tripoli as among Lebanon’s poorest cities, pointing to persistent funding shortfalls and deteriorating infrastructure.
