The Netherlands Support Project for Lebanese Border Agencies has concluded its three-year activities with a celebration at the Lebanese Army Officers’ Club in Yarzeh, attended by the Ambassador of the Netherlands to Lebanon, Hans Peter van der Woude, representative of the Lebanese Army Commander, Brigadier General Afif Saleh, Dutch project manager, Adrian Cooper, and other senior figures and dignitaries. 

The aforementioned project mainly focused on strengthening the Land Border Regiments Training School so as to become a leading regional center in the field of skills training within the field of integrated border management.

Moreover, the project's objective was to establish a culture of effective and sustainable border management training within the Lebanese border agencies, with a special focus on the Land Border Regiments Training School in Riyaq. 

It is worth mentioning that the project has implemented more than 150 activities involving 1,798 participants from various border agencies, universities, and schools across Lebanese territories.

Julien Simon, Head of Mediterranean Regional Office at the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD) deemed the work that has been achieved during the Dutch project’s three-year stint as “the most prominent example of cooperation between the International Center for Migration Policy Development in Beirut and Lebanon.”

For his part, Saleh praised the project, saying that the military units, especially those deployed along the northern and eastern borders, have gained a new advanced capability in terms of human efficiency and equipment. 

In turn, the Dutch ambassador reiterated his country's support for the project, stressing that the Netherlands has been a committed partner in the integrated border management in Lebanon for many years and is currently looking at possibilities to continue cooperation in 2022 and beyond.

Finally, the project manager pointed out that the achievements of the project exceeded its specific objectives despite the difficult circumstances that Lebanon had been through. 

“The main objective was to effectively enhance the role of the Land Border Regiment Training School in Riyaq, which has become a leading center for training in integrated border management, as a result of the joint efforts of all stakeholders within the project,” Adrian Cooper added.