UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon Ján Kubiš Remarks after Meeting Prime Minister Saad Hariri

I am very grateful and honoured to be received today by His Excellency the Prime Minister. It is our first substantive meeting, although I had the honour to attend the commemorative ceremony on the 14th of February and that was the first time that we shook hands but today we discussed.

I am very encouraged to hear what kind of priorities His Excellency put forward and I am very encouraged that we started the discussion with reference to the necessary work of the government, to the reform program of the government and of course underlining the expectation that the international community will continue and enhance support for the work of the Government, for the work of the country and for the benefit of the people of the country.

We discussed a number of areas that are relevant for progress in economic development and social areas. I pledged the support of the United Nations family here from all perspectives, operational, political and I know that it is also the intention of the (United Nations) Headquarters and leaders of different United Nations agencies, funds and programs because I had the chance to discuss with them, at least their priorities here for the country.

I was very much encouraged by the very active work of His Excellency the Prime Minister. I congratulated him on the very successful series of meetings he had in Sharm El-Sheikh when he attended the Arab-EU summit meeting and of course today Madame Mogherini visited him and had a discussion with him. All that is another manifestation of strong support of the international community for the problems of the Government and also for the implementation of the agreed documents, like those that emanated from the CEDRE conference or the Rome 2 conference on building the State institutions, on reinforcing the Lebanese Armed Forces and many other areas that are very relevant for the stability and development of the country.

Finally, I pledged once again all the support of the United Nations. I confirmed that we are here to work for strengthening sovereignty, integrity of the country. From that perspective, I also confirmed that we would work as UNSCOL (Office of the United Nations Special Coordinator for Lebanon) very closely with UNIFIL (United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon) and we will follow up on a number of files that are related to the Blue Line and to the sovereignty and integrity of Lebanon. I confirmed and once again pledged the closest possible cooperation and coordination with the Constitutional leaders of the country and with His Excellency the Prime Minister. So I am very grateful that today’s meeting was, at least from my perspective, very clear and important and gave us a very good orientation about our future activities.