Statement of USG Hervé Ladsous after meeting with LAF Commander Gen. Kahwaji
I am very glad to have had the opportunity to meet Gen. Kahwaji. We had very useful discussions and I also met with other senior officers of the Lebanese Armed Forces.
I have high admiration for the hard work and sacrifices made by LAF soldiers for their country under very challenging circumstances. I was very encouraged to see how they are working shoulder to shoulder with UNIFIL peacekeepers to maintain security and stability in southern Lebanon.
I was also very impressed by the LAF-Navy and the MTF for demonstrating professionalism and commitment towards their security responsibilities under resolution 1701.
I noted that the strong cooperation between the two Forces, and their coordinated operations, has been the main driver in the implementation of resolution 1701. We understand that LAF is under pressure to reinforce security in other parts of the country, and UNIFIL is working closely with LAF to ensure that security and stability is maintained in southern Lebanon now, as it has since resolution 1701 was adopted.
I assured Gen. Kahwaji of our continued support to the efforts of the Lebanese government to strengthen LAF's capacity. It is imperative that the international community provides the necessary technical and material resources to the LAF so that it can effectively deliver on its important tasks under resolution 1701.