Remarks of UN Special Coordinator Sigrid Kaag after meeting Prime Minister Saad Hariri

I had the pleasure of meeting with Prime Minister Saad Hariri. It was an opportunity to update on a number of key points of discussion.

First, I reiterated the welcome we extended to his visit with the minister of Defense and Army Commander General Joseph Aoun to the South in recent days, the important message and his reiteration of the full commitment and support to achieve progress in the implementation of Security Council Resolution 1701 towards a permanent ceasefire.

In the same context, we discussed the opportunities to expand support to build the capacity of the Lebanese Armed Forces. We look for opportunities also to do this possibly in the context of an International Support Group.

And last but not least we reviewed the important progress that can be achieved with the support of the international community in follow up to the Brussels conference, where the Prime Minister presented recently his priorities and submitted important ideas on a structural investment plan for Lebanon, which of course the United Nations and other partners are very keen to support, with a view to Lebanon’s stability, stabilization and its prosperity, the prosperity of the Lebanese citizens and support for the Syrian and Palestinian refugees.