Bou Habib meets UN Peacekeeping Chief

Caretaker Minister of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants  Abdallah Bou Habib hosted the UN Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, accompanied by UNIFIL Commander, General Aroldo Lázaro, and the accompanying delegation.

Discussions reportedly touched on the current situation in southern Lebanon and the mission of the UNIFIL forces.

Caretaker Minister Bou Habib renewed his thanks to the United Nations and UNIFIL forces for "the great role they undertake in Lebanon,” and stressed the Lebanese government's commitment to implementing UN Security Council Resolution 1701 in all its provisions in a parallel manner, and its support for full cooperation between the Lebanese Army and UNIFIL forces. Bou Habib also stressed the Lebanese government’s full readiness to reinforce the army's deployment south of the Litani River after the ceasefire.

The Foreign Minister also reaffirmed "Lebanon's rejection of Israel's targeting of UN forces, its deliberate targeting of its personnel and headquarters, and pressuring them to withdraw from their positions, in violation of the mandate entrusted to them by the Security Council."

For his part, Lacroix thanked the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for its continued support to UNIFIL, and stressed "the need for a cessation of hostilities, and the willingness of the United Nations and UNIFIL to do everything necessary to facilitate reaching a ceasefire, implement Resolution 1701, and find solutions to the conflict, in addition to helping to strengthen the deployment of the Lebanese Army south of the Litani River."