Guterres: We are confident that Lebanon will soon witness the formation of a government in which the Lebanese people feel represented

Guterres told reporters after his meeting with the country’s president that he is in this meeting “I had the opportunity to express our solidarity with the people of Lebanon who have suffered greatly, and I also expressed our full support for the president and the future government, knowing that it will now be possible to strengthen the institutions of the Lebanese state and create the necessary conditions to enable the Lebanese state to fully protect its citizens.”

He added that it would be possible, with the withdrawal of Israeli forces and the deployment of the Lebanese army throughout Lebanese territory, to open a new page for peace.

He said that he knows that the Lebanese have exceptional dynamism, tremendous resilience, and great courage, and that once the conflict ends, the reconstruction process begins.

He concluded his statements by saying: “I would like to express our full support and readiness to mobilize the entire international community to provide all forms of support to Lebanon, for what we believe will be a rapid recovery for this country, so that it can once again return to a vital center for the Middle East.”

An exceptional qualitative leap

The Secretary-General also spoke to reporters after his meeting with the Prime Minister-designate, Nawaf Salam, and expressed the United Nations’ full support for the ongoing process in Lebanon, as the country witnessed the election of a new president and a new prime minister charged with forming a government, and new opportunities are available for Lebanon after the completion of the ceasefire agreement and the withdrawal of Israeli forces. The Lebanese Armed Forces assume all the responsibilities assigned to them.

Guterres said: “We are fully convinced that this development will represent an exceptional qualitative leap for Lebanon, and the United Nations fully supports the President of the Republic and the Government of Lebanon, to mobilize the international community to provide full support to Lebanon, which must regain its position as a pivotal center in the Middle East region.”

Important moment

After his meeting with the Speaker of the Lebanese Parliament, Nabih Berri, the Secretary-General of the United Nations expressed his confidence that Lebanon will soon witness the formation of a government in which the Lebanese people feel represented, and that Lebanon will be able to guarantee the security of its citizens.

The Secretary-General said: “I am very pleased and honored to once again visit the Speaker of the House of Representatives and express to him the full solidarity of the United Nations with the Lebanese people at this important moment in their history.”

He stressed that the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) is working closely with the Lebanese Armed Forces in the south to achieve a very clear goal, which is that the Israeli presence in the south must end in the manner specified in the agreement, and that the Lebanese Armed Forces should be able to extend its authority over the entire Lebanese territories.