President of the Republic, General Michel Aoun, met UNIFIL Commander, General AROLDO Lazaro, today Baabda Palace.

The President told General Lazaro that the continuation of the Israeli air violations of Lebanese airspace will prompt Lebanon to file a complaint against Israel before the UN Security Council, especially since these violations have become almost daily and violate Resolution 1701.

President Aoun also pointed to the importance of coordination between the Lebanese army and the UNIFIL forces to enhance stability in the southern region, in order to avoid disputes between the international soldiers and the locals during the conduct of UNIFIL patrols in a number of villages in the area of ​​international operations.

In addition, the President expressed his hope that the Security Council would approve the extension of “UNIFIL” at the end of next month, appreciating the role played by the international forces in maintaining security and stability in the south

For his part, General Lazaro had presented the general situation in the area of ​​operations of the international forces prior to the issuance of the report of the Secretary-General of the United Nations next July

General Lazaro stressed the commitment of the UNIFIL leadership to continue working to enhance cooperation with the Lebanese authorities to achieve peace and stability in Lebanon.

Moreover, Lazaro indicated that the report that will be issued covers the period between February 19 and June 20, and a consultation session will be held on it on July 21, after which the extension of the mission of “UNIFIL” will be discussed at Lebanon’s request.

On the other hand, the UNIFIL commander spoke about the support provided by the international forces to the Lebanese Army through in-kind aid, and also presented the most prominent obstacles facing UNIFIL during the implementation of its mission, thanking the President for the support he always provides to the international forces that are supposed to move without restrictions to implement Resolution 1701.

The meeting was also attended by: UNIFIL Deputy Head of Mission Jacques Christofides, Political Officer Sabrina Pfiffner, Captain Fernando FORTUN, Captain Brian Lane, Mr. Alberto Cordella, Mr. ALBERTO CORDELLAWA

On the Lebanese side, former Minister Salim Jreissati, General Director of the Presidency of the Republic, Dr. Antoine Choucair, and the advisors, Brigadier General, Paul Matar, Rafic Shelala, Antoine Constantine and Osama Khashab, attended.

French Ambassador:

The President met the French Ambassador to Lebanon, Anne Grillo, and discussed with her general regional and international developments.

The meeting was also attended by the First Secretary at the embassy, ​​Jean Heilbronn, in addition to Former Minister Salim Jreissati and Director General of the Presidency of the Republic, Dr. Antoine Choucair.

Lebanese-French relations were also deliberated, in addition to Lebanese political events, including the government file, the necessity to respect the constitutional deadlines, and the election of a President of the Republic according to the constitution.

The meeting also tackled the importance of the demarcation of the southern maritime borders and positive results.

Ambassador Grillo stressed the importance of expediting the parliament’s approval of the necessary laws in order to restore the economic and financial situation, in addition to following up on the issue of the explosion of the Port of Beirut on August 4, 2020, revealing its circumstances and determining responsibilities.

Najat Rushdie:

President Aoun received the new Deputy Special Envoy for Syria, Ms. Najat Rushdie, on the occasion of her appointment in her new position and the end of her work in Lebanon as the United Nations Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator.

Mrs. Rushdie thanked President Aoun for the support she received from Lebanese officials during her work in Beirut, especially from him, noting that she benefited greatly from her work in Lebanon, and that her mission in Syria will be political with the UN Special Envoy for Syria, Ambassador Geir Pedersen.

In addition, Mrs. Rushdie gave President Aoun the data that she had during her tour of a number of European countries as part of her mission to push these countries to provide humanitarian assistance to Lebanon.

For his side, the President commended the efforts made by Mrs. Rushdie during her work in Lebanon, wishing her success in her new responsibilities.

President Aoun reiterated Lebanon’s position demanding the return of the displaced Syrians to their country, due to Lebanon’s inability to bear more burdens caused by the presence of about 1.5 million Syrian refugees on its lands and the repercussions caused by this displacement on the various Lebanese sectors.

Moreover, President Aoun renewed his rejection of what was issued by some countries about a tendency to integrate the displaced Syrians into the societies that host them, and asserted that “Lebanon cannot accept such a step” indicating that European countries should be aware of this fact and act on this basis.