Good afternoon and Ramadan Kareem. I met with the Prime Minister in anticipation of my visit to Washington and New York, where obviously the stability and security situations will be discussed, both with the American authorities but also with the Security Council.
I believe this is a particularly difficult period for Lebanon, and I would of course like to offer and reiterate my condolences to the families of the victims of the terrorist attacks, but also hope for the quick recovery of those who were injured.
It is also a moment where of course we need to be vigilant but also united. This was a theme that the Prime Minister and I reviewed, the importance of national unity, vigilance to secure and stabilize Lebanon in this very volatile and challenging period. There are a number of areas of course where additional support is needed, I would say for the security apparatus and the Lebanese Armed Forces who are doing an exceptional job. Very few countries could continue to provide this level of security against such threats, so nothing but high praise and respect for the entire security apparatus, but more support is needed.
Secondly, we also need to look at ways in which we can support Lebanon’s own coping mechanisms, the State, avoid further erosion of the institutions of State. That can be through economic financing, capacity support, but of course the political track is one that will ultimately provide the new impetus and level of stability and security to citizens to allow Lebanon to thrive and that is the election of a president we hope through appropriate compromise amongst all the parties, and that we can look towards Lebanon in a very different way. These are some of the messages as well that I will be relaying to the Security Council. But I believe this is a difficult period, I do not need to repeat that, but it is also a moment where we need to focus our hearts and minds on what can be done and what should be done to protect Lebanon and to engage in future conflict prevention.