It was an honor for me to meet again today with His Eminence the Patriarch, Cardinal Bechara Boutros El-Rai.
We discussed the latest developments in Lebanon and the region and the impact of the regional developments on Lebanon. I congratulated him on the National Memorandum that was released last month by the Maronite Church, the significance of which was noted by the Secretary-General in his latest report.
I told the Patriarch that the international community remained committed to supporting Lebanon during this period of numerous political, economic and security challenges emanating from the Syrian crisis, a commitment that was underlined last week in the meeting of the International Support Group for Lebanon in Paris. The Patriarch and I agreed that stability in Lebanon would be best served by conducting the presidential elections on time on the basis of Lebanon’s constitutional procedures and democratic practice. We also discussed the urgent need for a functioning, effective and productive government and the importance therefore of agreement without delay on the ministerial statement.
In that connection, I briefed the Patriarch on the coordination between the UN and the Lebanese authorities in trying to meet the needs of the Syrian refugees and the Lebanese communities hosting them and I acknowledged yet again our appreciation for the way in which Lebanon and its people have met this humanitarian challenge and our recognition of the need for still more burden sharing.