After 19 years of strife and internal struggles that destroyed the entire nation's infrastructure, Lebanon's reconstruction work is under way but the country is still in need of assistance from abroad, including Japan, the new Lebanese ambassador to Japan said Tuesday.
During a visit to The Japan Times, Jaafar Moawi said a large part of Lebanon's economic and social infrastructure has already been restored or rebuilt after being damaged during the conflict and that the comprehensive development process is still under way. He said he wants to see the modern reconstruction work make Beirut one of the most important capitals of the Middle East, as it was before fighting broke out in 1975.
After arriving in Tokyo in August on his first diplomatic assignment here, Moawi said he wants to increase and improve relations with Japan, starting first with cultural links, and build a "permanent bridge" between the two countries through strengthened cultural relations.