Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati met with the head of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) Major General Aroldo Lázaro accompanied by a delegation from the command and in the presence of the Prime Minister’s diplomatic advisor, Boutros Assaker.
During the meeting, the Lebanese PM insisted that “cooperation with UNIFIL ensures stability on the border”.
He later met with U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Dorothy Shea
The meeting took place two days after Hezbollah conducted its largest military maneuver in years in southern Lebanon on Sunday, May 21, as it unveiled heavy weapons and simulated attacks on Israeli territory using live ammunition.
Hezbollah’s muscle flexing south of the Litani is a flagrant violation of Resolution 1701, and instead of being seen as a message of deterrence to Israel, it was widely perceived as a provocation to the Lebanese government.
The day after the maneuvers and after meeting UN Special Coordinator Joanna Wronecka at the Serail, Mikati implicitly criticized Hezbollah’s recent military show of force in southern Lebanon. He stressed Lebanon’s commitment to UN Resolution 1701, which restricts the possession of weapons south of the Litani River to the Lebanese Army and UNIFIL.
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