Kaag to lobby for increased assistance for Lebanese Army

BEIRUT: U.N. Special Coordinator for Lebanon Sigrid Kaag will call on relevant countries to increase aid for the Lebanese Army, she said Wednesday during talks with Defense Minister Samir Moqbel.

A statement released by Moqbel’s media office after the meeting said that the minister briefed Kaag on the Army’s needs as the military continues battles with terrorists in northeast Lebanon.

Kaag told Moqbel that she was interested in visiting military outposts in Lebanon to have a closer look into the Army’s situation, convey the picture to the United Nations Security Council and urge relevant countries to hasten the required assistance to the Lebanese Army, the statement said.

The U.N. official also called on the international community to increase support for Lebanon by offering equipment and military training. She urged countries that had already provided assistance, such as the United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia, the United States and France to continue to do so.

Kaag said she had an excellent meeting with Moqbel, praising his performance and that of the Lebanese Army despite the limited resources available to them.

According to a statement by Kaag’s media office, she and Moqbel discussed the security situation in Lebanon, with a particular focus on Lebanon’s eastern border with Syria.

The special coordinator praised the Lebanese Army and security forces for their efforts to safeguard Lebanon’s security and stability from threats posed by extremist militants.

Lebanon is hosting more than one million Syrian refugees. Despite an official policy of neutrality toward the conflict in Syria, it has regularly seen the fighting spill over the border.

Militants from ISIS and the Nusra Front are holed up on Lebanon’s mountainous northeastern borders and often carry out attacks against Army posts located there.

Also Wednesday, Moqbel discussed the security situation with Army Commander Gen. Jean Kahwagi at the latter’s office at the Defense Ministry. The meeting tackled the Army’s various missions and its needs.