President Joe Biden’s nominee to be the next US ambassador to Lebanon Lisa Johnson said Tuesday that “the challenges that Lebanon faces include corruption, poor governance, and the threat of Hezbollah to the country’s sovereignty and security.”

Johnson, whom Biden nominated in February, said in front of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that “the reason Lebanon remains a real priority for the United States is it’s just at the intersection of US national security interests in the Middle East.”

She added that Lebanon’s leaders failed to implement the economic reforms required for the IMF program, the country’s only realistic path toward recovery.

Lebanon is currently suffering from a severe economic crisis, which the World Bank dubbed one of the world’s worst economic crises in 150 years.

Speaking about the future of Lebanon, the nominee considered that the first step in the recovery journey is to elect a new president, form an empowered government, and implement long overdue reforms.

“I look forward to continuing US efforts to support the Lebanese government and Lebanese people every step of the way,” she said.

Johnson lauded the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) and the Internal Security Forces (ISF), voicing full support for US assistance to both security agencies.

Bipartisan congressional support for the LAF and ISF has exceeded $3 billion in security aid since 2006 to strengthen Lebanon’s sovereignty, mitigate instability, disrupt terrorists, and counter Hezbollah’s “false narrative that its illicit weapons are necessary to defend Lebanon,” she claimed.

She also acknowledged the importance of the UN peacekeepers’ role in southern Lebanon through the UNIFIL mission, underlining the development assistance provided by the United States to Lebanon, including support for the private sector, service delivery improvement, education access, and humanitarian aid for vulnerable populations and Syrian refugees.

There is no consensus on Lebanon’s next president, as Hezbollah and the Amal Movement insist on naming Sleiman Frangieh, while independents and the opposition have yet to agree on a candidate.

Johnson was asked about the potential impact on US-Lebanon ties in case Frangieh wins the presidential race.

“What we have been continuing to advocate is that the Lebanese parliament is going to have to choose the next president; it’s not for the international community to decide. But we’ve expressed the qualities that we believe are important: someone that’s free from corruption, someone that can unite the country, that puts the interests of the people first, that can build a coalition to implement the reform [needed]. Some candidates will not meet that bar,” she pointed out, without taking part in the name game.

She stressed that recent US sanctions against financiers, drug traffickers, and Hezbollah’s sanctions evasion network demonstrate her country’s commitment to targeting those associated with Hezbollah. “If confirmed, I will continue to pursue all tools to advance US counterterrorism objectives,” she said.

Nevertheless, Johnson voiced optimism for the country, highlighting the recent US-brokered maritime border deal between Lebanon and Israel, which she considered a demonstration of what Lebanon’s leaders could achieve if they set aside partisan and personal interests and put those of the country and Lebanese people first.

“If confirmed, I look forward to invoking that same sense of unity and purpose to press Lebanon’s leaders along the path to both political and economic recovery,” she noted, stressing that the safety and security of the more than 40,000 US citizens residing in Lebanon would always be her top priority.

“And then there’s, of course, the historic ties we have with the Lebanese people. Lebanese are an important part… here in the United States and the rich cultural fabric they contribute to. We can’t ignore any of this,” she added.