Germany announced that it will accept 59 containers of toxic waste shipments from the Port of Beirut, which is still recovering after the devastating explosion in its grain terminal last summer.
The heavy-lift ship Amoenitas, operated by Combi Lift, arrived in Beirut to ship the 59 containers to Germany, according to information by the Ambassador of Germany to Lebanon, H.E. Mr. Andreas Kindl.
Let me introduce to you:
a. the ship – Amoenitas
b. the captain – OlegThey are ready to relieve #Beirut off the 59 containers of hazardous material. pic.twitter.com/5VHFwtZScb
— Germany in Lebanon 🇩🇪🇱🇧 (@GermanEmbBeirut) April 29, 2021
The German company, Combi Lift, has been crucial in preventing further harm to the inhabitants of Beirut by cleaning hazardous material in the port,
…he said.
The move forms part of Germany-led “Project for a European revival of the Beirut Port and of the surrounding area”, which was presented at Beit Beirut – Sodeco, Beirut in early April, by Mr. Kindl, the Governor of Beirut Marwan Abboud, the President of the Lebanese German Business Council (LGBC) Elias Assouad and a delegation of HPC Hamburg Port Consulting and Colliers International.
This project aims to rebuild the port of Beirut following the blast of 4 August 2020 and to transform it into a safe and smart port optimized in terms of productivity, quality and surface. However, a diplomatic source told Reuters that this plan is not going to come “without strings attached”.
The Port of Beirut is at the core of Lebanon’s economic activities. It needs to be in the focus of redeveloping Beirut. Germany calls most urgently on all Lebanese stakeholders and political actors to fulfill the expectations of the Lebanese people by contributing to the formation of a mission-driven, credible and accountable government, able to implement the necessary reforms,
…added Mr. Kindl.
The blast on the city’s northern Mediterranean coast on 4 August 2020 killed at least 200 people and injured around 5,000, plunging the country deeper into its worst political and economic crisis since the 1975-1990 civil war.
