Beirut int'l and Arab book fair opens after 3-year hiatus
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E-mail Xinhua, March 4, 2022
Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati inaugurated the 63rd edition of the Beirut International and Arab Book Fair on Thursday, and said Lebanon is determined to confront and stand up to all difficulties and challenges.
The book fair, which returns after a three-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the Beirut port explosions, was attended by more than 200 publishing houses, local media reported.
The location of the book fair, which is adjacent to the Beirut port where deadly explosions occurred in 2020, carries a Lebanese message to the world, Mikati said during the fair's opening ceremony at Beirut's Seaside Arena, according to a statement by the Council of Ministers, or Lebanon's cabinet.
"This is a message of hope that Beirut will regain its role, and that all of Lebanon will rise," the statement quoted Mikati as saying.
Since 2019, Lebanon has been suffering from an unprecedented financial crisis amid a shortage of foreign reserves, exacerbated by the Beirut port explosions and the lingering COVID-19 pandemic.
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