LBCI Exclusive: Canada's Ambassador to Lebanon supports UNIFIL mandate renewal, aims to strengthen LAF capabilities

In an interview with LBCI, Stefanie McCollum, Canada's Ambassador to Lebanon, affirmed that her country supports UNIFIL's mandate and the role it plays in South Lebanon in monitoring the violations of Resolution 1701.

She added: "We very much hope that the UN Security Council will renew the mandate for another year."

In the interview with LBCI, she reaffirmed her country's support to implement Resolution 1701 fully.

"What we would like to see is a ceasefire so that calm is restored along the Blue Line, along the southern border, and at that point, I think, from a medium-term perspective, we welcome the government of Lebanon's pillared plan for stability in the south," Ambassador McCollum said, adding: "It would see the LAF assuring the security in the south."

"We have been working a lot with the LAF in terms of providing training and equipment and capacity building, and we believe that they would be able to secure the south and maintain those borders on behalf of Lebanon in the long term," Ambassador McCollum told LBCI.

In terms of the reconstruction of towns destroyed in South Lebanon, the ambassador affirmed: "I think what we'll wait to see is what the plan is and what the state of Lebanon has planned for reconstruction."

"As we have been in the past, we look forward to being a top donor country in assisting Lebanon and implementing those plans, including for reconstruction," she noted. 

The Canadian Ambassador to Lebanon indicated that her country is not currently offering assisted departures for Canadians. 

Canada's Ambassador to Lebanon stressed: "Since October, our advice has been, due to the volatility of the situation, that Canadians should avoid traveling to Lebanon, not to put themselves in a position of needing emergency assistance, and for the Canadians that are here to leave while they can by commercial means."

"We do have a plan, and we hope that we will be able to help," Stefanie McCollum indicated, adding that she cannot share many details due to security reasons.