Annan meets with Lebanese Prime Minister

In Beirut, Annan meets with Lebanese Prime Minister.

28 August 2006 – United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan today met with Lebanese leaders, offering his reassurances that the UN and the international community stood firmly behind efforts to implement the Security Council resolution that ended hostilities between Israel and Hizbollah earlier this month.

“This is a very critical time for Lebanon and I think it is important that I come here myself to discuss with the Lebanese authorities the aftermath of the war and the measures being taken to implement UN resolutions, and also to underscore international solidarity,” said Mr. Annan upon arrival at the airport in Beirut.

The Secretary-General today met with Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora, as well as the Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri. Mr. Annan said he assured them that “the international community would want to work very, very effectively with the parties to ensure that we do implement the resolution to the fullest and that we have a long-term peace in this region.”

“We have a chance now to have a long-term ceasefire and a long-term peace and we all need to work together,” added Mr. Annan after meeting with Mr. Berri. “This is the purpose of my visit here.”

The Secretary-General also plans to travel to Israel. He is encouraging both countries to implement their commitments under Resolution 1701, adopted unanimously by the Council on 11 August.

That resolution calls for Israel and Lebanon to “support a permanent ceasefire and a long-term solution” to the conflict while respecting several principles, including ensuring that the area between the Blue Line and the Litani river in southern Lebanon is free of any armed personnel and weapons other than those of the Lebanese armed forces and the expanded UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL)

Ends.

© Scoop Media