Caretaker Prime Minister Hassan Diab, received on Thursday at the Grand Serail, UNIFIL Head of Mission and Force Commander Major General Stefano Del Col, Head of UNIFIL's Political Affairs Department Niraj Singh, and UNIFIL Commander’s Military Assistant, in the presence of the Lebanese Government Coordinator with UNIFIL Brigadier General Haseeb Abdo, and PM Advisor for Diplomatic Affairs Ambassador Gebran Soufan.
Del Col briefed Premier Diab on the situation in UNIFIL’s area of operations. During the meeting, PM Diab raised the issue of recurrent Israeli violations of the Lebanese sovereignty, as well as the provocative acts of aggression carried out by the Israeli enemy, especially the abduction of the Lebanese shepherd from inside the Lebanese territories and the attempt to kidnap his brother and seize livestock. He demanded that such acts be brought to a definitive end, for they pose a threat not only to the South, but also to peace and security in the region, which violates Resolution 1701.
PM Diab then received the Regional Director of the Mashreq Department at the World Bank Group Saroj Kumar Jha, who was accompanied by the Ambassador of the European Union to Lebanon Ralph Tarraf, European Union’s Embassy Advisor Ryan Nyland, and Deputy United Nations Special Coordinator for Lebanon Najat Rochdi, in the presence of Minister Zeina Akar, PM Office Director Judge Khaled Akkari, and Ambassador Soufan.
The meeting deliberated on the EU/UN/WB joint mechanism related to the recovery, reconstruction and reform plan.