President of the Republic, General Michel Aoun, delivered the following address during the joint press conference with the United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres, at Baabda Palace this evening:

“Welcome Secretary-General to Lebanon, on your first visit, while you are at the helm of the international organization, after you took over from 2005 to 2015 the responsibility of the UNHCR.

Lebanon and the United Nations have a deep partnership that goes back to the establishment of the organization, as Lebanon was one of the fifty countries that participated in the founding of the United Nations in 1945 in San Francisco, and among those who contributed to the drafting of the Bill of Human Rights in 1948.

Through out the many crises that have struck Lebanon since 1948 and the Palestinian refuge to Lebanon until this day, through the Lebanese internal war, and the many Israeli wars, up to the repercussions of the massive Syrian displacement, the explosion of the Port of Beirut, the financial and economic crisis, and the repercussions of the current unprecedented crises; The United Nations was a supportive factor of stability, especially through the UNIFIL forces in the south, and a partner in development through its agencies operating in Lebanon.

I discussed with His Excellency the successive crises that Lebanon suffers and the ways to overcome them, especially those related to the economic and living conditions that have deteriorated in recent months. I assured His Excellency the Secretary-General that we are working to overcome them even gradually, by developing an economic recovery plan to present it to the International Monetary Fund and to negotiate with multiple reforms in the economic, financial and administrative fields, reviewing a number of state departments, controlling spending, combating corruption, and achieving forensic auditing in the accounts of Banque du Liban. The objectives are to expose officials to the losses that have befallen the country over the past years. The goal remains to adopt sustainable governance that corrects the imbalance that has plagued state institutions.

I assured His Excellency that Lebanon will witness next spring parliamentary elections and will provide every tool to be transparent and fair, reflecting the true will of the Lebanese in choosing their representatives and welcome any role that the United Nations can play in following up on these elections, in coordination with the competent Lebanese authorities.

We also discussed the Syrian displacement, and stressed the need to find a new approach to the case of Syrian refugees in Lebanon, which is an ongoing and escalating crisis for more than 10 years, and the huge burdens on Lebanon, especially in light of the current circumstances, and the need for the international community to assume its responsibilities and encourage the safe return of the displaced to their villages and homeland.

With regard to the situation with Israel, I reiterated to His Excellency Lebanon’s commitment to the implementation of UN Resolution 1701 in all its aspects, maintaining stability on the southern border, and permanent cooperation between the Lebanese army and UNIFIL forces.

I pointed out the continued Israeli violations of land, sea and air, especially the use of Lebanese airspace for repeated air attacks on Syria.

I stressed Lebanon’s adherence to its sovereignty over its entire territory, and the full rights to invest its natural resources, especially in the oil and gas fields, and its constant readiness to follow up on indirect negotiations to demarcate the southern maritime borders.

Finally, I renew my gratitude to the international organization and all its bodies working in Lebanon for all the efforts made, and I especially thank His Excellency the Secretary-General for his permanent solidarity with Lebanon, which was manifested the aids and the holding of special conferences in support of the Lebanese people.”

Source: National News Agency