German envoy says private firms to present Beirut port rebuilding plan

The German ambassador to Beirut said on Friday that several private companies would present a comprehensive proposal next week to develop Beirut port and nearby areas destroyed in last August's massive explosion.

The statement came after Reuters reported that sources said Germany would next week present a multi-billion dollar proposal to Lebanese authorities to rebuild the port as part of efforts to prompt politicians to form a government that can stop the country's financial collapse.

The ambassador, Andreas Kindl, said the companies included HHLA, HPC, Roland Berger and Colliers, and that this was not a proposal presented by the German government.