Iran ready to keep helping Lebanon’s post-war reconstruction - ambassador

BEIRUT: Iranian Ambassador Mohammad-Reza Shibani held talks on Sunday with Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Saniora to discuss Iran's assistance of Lebanon's reconstruction, Iran's IRNA news agency said. During the meeting, Shibani voiced the Islamic Republic's willingness to help reconstruct Lebanon's war-torn areas.

Referring to Iranian reconstruction efforts in Lebanon, Shibani said that Iran would continue to offer its assistance to Lebanon's development and reconstruction projects.

IRNA quoted Shibani as saying that Iran has already completed various construction projects throughout Lebanon and some other projects are currently under construction.

Shibani added that an Iranian organization for reconstruction in Lebanon was launched in 2006 in response to the war, IRNA reported.

Since the end of ‘Israel's' 34-day offensive on Lebanon, Iranians have completed over 400 construction projects in Lebanon, IRNA said.

The Iranian mission is expected to complete some 600 construction projects, including academic, religious and medical centers, bridges, rural infrastructure facilities and power stations, of which some 70 percent are already completed, it added.

Iran has also undertaken the reconstruction of 375 kilometers of damaged highways and roads in Lebanon - 200 kilometers of which, or 55 percent of the job, is now completed.

Iran is among several foreign countries that have shouldered burden of reconstructing Lebanon in the wake of the 2006 war.