Outgoing Prime Minister Najib Mikati meets with UNIFIL commander General Aroldo Lazaro at the Grand Serail on Wednesday. (Credit: Dalati Nohra)
BEIRUT — Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati said on Wednesday that his government would abide by last week's contested UN decision last week to renew the mandate of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).
The annual renewal of UNIFIL's mandate caused controversy in Lebanon. Lebanon and Hezbollah had insisted on amendments to Article 16 of the resolution, in order to limit UNIFIL's ability to move throughout the country without the permission of the Lebanese Army. However, no changes were made to this article in the final text.
The renewal of the UN peacekeeping force this year also comes amid rising tensions along the Lebanese-Israeli border.
"The government is ready to comply with the UN Security Council's decision to renew UNIFIL's mandate for another year," Mikati said at a meeting at the Grand Serail with the head of the peacekeeping force, General Aroldo Lazaro, according to remarks reported by state-run National News Agency (NNA).
"The Lebanese government is ready to cooperate with UNIFIL, through the army, to preserve security in southern Lebanon," he added. Mikati also praised the "effective cooperation between the army and UNIFIL," and called on the peacekeepers "to work to put an end to Israeli violations of Lebanese sovereignty," which in recent months have included sporadic cross-border fire.
General Lazaro also met on Wednesday with Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri at his residence in Ain al-Tineh.