Beirut, Dec 21 : Visiting UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said that Lebanon is at the centre of all strategies and efforts of the world amid the multiple crises in the country.
“Lebanon is today at the centre of all our strategies and efforts, both at the level of the Secretariat and at the level of the different agencies that are cooperating with the Lebanese authorities,” Guterres said during a meeting with Prime Minister Najib Mikati and the Lebanese cabinet at the Grand Serail on Monday.
The Secretary-General emphasized the importance of adopting unified strategies among the UN and Lebanese leaders that are aligned in pursuit of a stable peaceful Lebanon to offer hope and opportunity to all its people.
Guterres noted that the UN stands ready to support Lebanon in its negotiations with international financial institutions to encourage them to provide the maximum possible support for the country.
For his part, Mikati said that Lebanon urgently needs more aid, especially for a cash assistance program for hundreds of thousands of families.
He asked for the help of the international community to facilitate the return of Syrian refugees to their homeland.
Earlier on Monday, Guterres met House Speaker Nabih Berri, vowing to facilitate negotiations for maritime border demarcation allowing Lebanon to take full profit of the natural resources.
The UN Secretary-General laid a wreath earlier in the day at a memorial for the August 2020 Beirut port blast.
Guterres arrived on Sunday in Lebanon to express solidarity with the people of Lebanon amid the country’s multiple crises. (IANS)