UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres Remarks after Meeting with President of the Republic of Lebanon Joseph Aoun.

It’s in difficult moments that friendship and solidarity are essential. And I’m here as a friend of the Lebanese people in full solidarity with the Lebanese people.

I know that the Lebanese are suffering enormously.

I know that Muslim Lebanese are living Ramadan.

Christian Lebanese are living Lent.

And these should be moments of peace, these should be moments of solidarity.

Unfortunately, Lebanon was dragged into a war that is not a war that its people would be willing to have.

I sincerely hope that in my next visit to Lebanon, I'll be able to visit a Lebanon in peace.

I'll be able to live to visit a Lebanon where the state has the monopoly of the use of force and to visit a Lebanon whose territorial integrity is fully re-established and respected.

In between, my strong appeal to both parties, to Hezbollah and to Israel, is for a ceasefire to stop war and pave the way to find a solution that would allow Lebanon to become a country independent, with sovereignty and territorial integrity respected and where its authorities have, as I said, the monopoly of use of force.

This is no longer the time of armed groups. This is the time of strong states.

Thank you very much.

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