The European Union Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement, Olivér Várhelyi, visited Lebanon between 4 and 5 October.

During his first official mission to Lebanon, Commissioner Várhelyi met President Michel Aoun, Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, and caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati. Commissioner Várhelyi also met caretaker Foreign Affairs Minister Abdallah Bou Habib, caretaker Deputy Prime Minister Saade Al Shami, caretaker Finance Minister Youssef Khalil, and the Head of the Lebanese Armed Forces General Joseph Aoun, in addition to visiting an EU-funded project by Caritas Lebanon.

During the meetings, Commissioner Várhelyi underscored the critical need to implement necessary reforms, starting with the prior actions agreed with the IMF. Acknowledging the exceptional circumstances that Lebanon is experiencing, the Commissioner similarly discussed the EU–Lebanon cooperation supported by a development assistance allocated by the European Union to Lebanon, and ways in which it can help the country tackle the many challenges it faces.

Commissioner Olivér Várhelyi announced the upcoming adoption of EUR 229 million for Lebanon, including support to the Syrian crisis response and the Food Resilience Facility (FRF). The package will support the energy sector and reform of the public administration, and will continue supporting Syrians refugees in Lebanon as well as host communities. The FRF, amounting to EUR 25 million, will be dedicated to strengthening the food and agriculture sector.