UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon Ján Kubiš Remarks after Meeting President Michel Aoun

Good morning everybody,

I am very grateful that His Excellency the President gave me the audience less than 24 hours after my arrival as the new UN Special Coordinator and political representative of the United Nations here in the country.

Of course, I used the opportunity to congratulate His Excellency on the fact that now the government is in place. I expressed also my hope that today and tomorrow’s session of the Parliament will take the next necessary steps.

But the most important message was to confirm that we, as the United Nations system and UNSCOL, will continue our cooperation with and support to the programs of the government. We will try to facilitate also discussion on how to resolve certain issues that are very much under the mandate given to us by the UN Security Council Resolution 1701. I informed His Excellency that in the second half of March there will be another discussion of the Security Council on the report of the Secretary General on the implementation of this resolution.

I once again recommit the UN system to work in very close partnership with both the authorities of the State and with the people of the country to be a partner and facilitator in all the areas important for the country.

We discussed also the regional context, not only in relation to Israel but also the developments in the broader region starting with Syria and not least the situation of the Syrian refugees and the need of the international community to facilitate both the humanitarian situation but also to help development, social development, economic development, investment problems of the government.

So, it was a very substantive meeting, although it was the first one. I was very pleased and very honoured that His Excellency discussed with me very substantive issues and gave us a certain guidance as regards our future cooperation.

Thank you very much.