France said on Friday that it welcomed the signature of an agreement to allow for the payment of USD 9 million in fiduciary funds to Lebanon from the World Bank, corresponding to France' share of a financing agreement signed last March.
The payment agreement, signed September 12, will free up funds to help Lebanon deal with the massive influx of Syrian refugees it has witnessed since the conflict erupted in Syria in March 2011.
It is now estimated that one quarter of the Lebanese population is composed of Syrian refugees, or over one million people.
The French Foreign Ministry, announcing the financial accord, said the payment "illustrates the constant (French) commitment in favour of stability" in Lebanon. Paris also indicated that the international community would be meeting again on the Lebanese question on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly at the end of September.