New U.N. envoy pushes for new president

BEIRUT: It is important that Lebanon elects a new president as soon as possible, the U.N.’s new envoy to Lebanon, Sigrid Kaag, said Friday during meetings with Lebanese officials, urging all sides to prevent the security situation in the south from deteriorating. Kaag had a meeting with Prime Minister Tammam Salam at the Grand Serail, after which she told reporters that she and the premier discussed a number of key issues.

“I don’t need to spell them out but they relate to the overall situation of stability, security and stabilization of the country which is so precious to all of us, [and] the importance of finding an early mechanism to elect a president. The significance of this of course is very well understood,” Kaag said.

She said the U.N. would continue to support Lebanon’s government and its partners “in addressing all the wider range of needs, be they on the political front, security, ensuring progress toward implementation of Security Council Resolution 1701, but also looking at effective ways of implementing the [Lebanese Crisis Response Plan].”

The LCRP was announced by the government late last year. It sets out ways for the government to deal with the presence of over 1.1 million registered Syrian refugees and requires $2.14 billion of funding.

Kaag said the U.N. would work on securing funds so the organization, the Lebanese government and its partners could effectively address the huge needs of both Syrian refugees and Lebanese host communities.

As for the security situation, Kaag said she discussed with Salam last week’s Israeli strike on a Hezbollah convoy in Qunaitra in Syria, which killed six party fighters and an Iranian commander. The attack raised fears of retaliation from Hezbollah, which would hurt security in the southern area bordering Israel.

“I reiterated, and the prime minister very much spoke to this, the statement by the Secretary-General urging all parties to refrain from any action that could directly or indirectly lead to an escalation of the current situation. So we come back to SCR 1701, [and] the tremendous role and collaboration that UNIFIL provides in the country,” Kaag said.

Kaag assumed her duties as U.N. Special Coordinator for Lebanon last week, replacing Derek Plumbly.

Later in the day Kaag met with Hezbollah’s international relations officer Ammar Musawi, according to the group’s press office. She also visited Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea at his Maarab residence and Kataeb Party leader Amine Gemayel in Bikfaya.