UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres meets Lebanese caretaker PM Najib Mikati

Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati hosted U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres Friday evening at his residence in Beirut. 

The meeting was attended by U.N. Special Coordinator for Lebanon Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix, UNIFIL Commander Major General Aroldo Lázaro, and Assistant Secretary-General for Middle East, Asia, and the Pacific Khaled Khiari.  

After the meeting, Guterres spoke to the media, highlighting his visit to Naqoura in South Lebanon, where he inspected UNIFIL's headquarters. 

"I felt immense pride meeting the brave UNIFIL personnel who have carried out their duties under the most challenging circumstances in southern Lebanon. I saw one of their posts that was damaged during the recent war. Despite this, the courageous UNIFIL forces remained steadfast, continuing their mission to maintain peace and facilitate the ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel," he said.  

Guterres underscored the importance of supporting Lebanon's armed forces, emphasizing the need to adequately equip them to ensure the Lebanese people's safety and security.