NNA - Japan will extend a grant to Mines Advisory Group (MAG), to support its clearance operations of cluster munition remnants (CMR) in the Caza of Rachaya and West Bekaa in Bekaa. On October 10 2023, Ambassador MAGOSHI Masayuki signed a grant contract with Mr. Sylvain Lefort, Country Director of MAG.

MAG has been working in Lebanon since 2000 to eliminate landmines, CMRs, and other unexploded ordnance, and has collaborated with Japan through several demining projects over the years. Lebanon is currently obligated under the Convention on the Cluster Munitions (CCM) to free its country from CMRs by May 2026. Considering the urgency and importance of the CMRs clearance in Lebanon, Japan decided to support the MAG’s initiative which will clear CMRs in Dahr El Ahmar, Rachaya, and Baaloul, West Bekaa. Through this grant, Japan will continue to reinstate security in target regions, as well as secure development and agricultural opportunities, by enabling the communities to regain access to their lands and resources.

At the signing ceremony, Ambassador MAGOSHI commended MAG’s enormous efforts in mine action, and noted Japan’s keenness to support the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) through its assistance to the mine action sector. For his part, Mr. Lefort expressed his appreciation for  Japan’s continuous support and stressed the importance of this project by emphasizing on its positive impact on the lives of the people and the community, and on Lebanon’s commitment to the CCM.

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