UN Secretary-General António Guterres arrives in Beirut to congratulate Lebanon’s newly elected President

Lebanon’s caretaker Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib, acting on behalf of President Joseph Aoun, welcomed U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres at Beirut’s Rafic Hariri International Airport on Thursday evening. 

Guterres is visiting Lebanon to extend congratulations to the President on his election.

During a meeting held at the airport, Bou Habib and Guterres discussed the latest developments in Lebanon and the region.

Guterres stated, “My visit is an expression of deep solidarity with Lebanon and its people, who have endured successive crises and internal and regional challenges, leaving significant negative impacts.”

He affirmed that “the United Nations will provide all possible support to Lebanon’s various sectors to help the country regain its status as a land of peace, beauty, and prosperity in the region. The U.N. will make every effort to empower the Lebanese state to achieve economic recovery.”

Guterres also emphasized that “UNIFIL forces and UN offices in Lebanon will continue to work diligently to support Lebanon and its stability.”

For his part, Bou Habib reiterated that “Lebanon is a peace-loving country committed to international legitimacy. It values the United Nations’ consistent support for its sovereignty and independence and relies on its role in helping the country overcome the economic crisis and rebuild what was destroyed by the Israeli war.”