Friday, 21 March 2014
Good Morning.
I just had a very good meeting with Prime Minister Tamam Salam. I congratulated him on the strong vote of confidence the government secured yesterday in Parliament. The way in which so many have come together in support of the Government is the strongest possible signal of the Lebanese people’s determination to ensure stability and the continuity of state institutions.The United Nations looks forward to working closely with the government in addressing many of the subjects highlighted in the ministerial statement, including the issue of Syrian refugees in Lebanon and the implementation of resolution 1701.
I welcomed the absolute priority being given by the Prime Minister and his colleagues to the security challenges facing Lebanon. We have all been deeply disturbed by the ongoing violence in Tripoli, by the repeated and totally unacceptable violations of Lebanon’s sovereignty along Lebanon’s northern and eastern borders with Syria and by the consequent loss of life. Two of the affected areas, Arsal and Akkar, are ones where the United Nations and its partners are already deeply engaged, and a mission is in Arsal today to assess the needs as a result of recent events. I take the opportunity to pay tribute once again to the Lebanese Army and the security forces who have been working tirelessly to safeguard the country in these difficult times.
I also discussed with the Prime Minister the steps which will be taken as indicated in the ministerial statement to follow up on the outcome of the last meeting of the International Support Group for Lebanon in Paris in respect of support for Lebanon’s state institutions, the army, the refugees and the economy. These will be shared priorities for the government and the United Nations in the weeks ahead.
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