Beirut, Lebanon
Wednesday, 05 December 2012
I just had a very good meeting with Minister Charbel. It was an opportunity to discuss the developments in Lebanon, particularly those related to the security situation and elections.

I know from my discussions in New York last week that the international community is united as to the importance of safeguarding Lebanon’s security and stability, particularly in the light of the turbulence in the surrounding region. The United Nations has on numerous occasions voiced its support for the Baabda Declaration and Lebanon’s dissociation policy, both of which are aimed at protecting Lebanon from the impact of regional conflicts. I welcomed the efforts of Minister Charbel and the security forcesand the Lebanese Army to sustain law and order, notwithstanding the incidents that have occurred in different areas of the country and regrettably in Tripoli in the past few days.

We also discussed today the preparations for next year’s parliamentary elections and the technical assistance the United Nations has been extending to the Ministry of Interior in that regard. We both agreed on the importance of the elections being held on time and within the constitutional timeline. The Minister briefed me on all the steps the Ministry was taking to ensure the elections did indeed take place on time.
 

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