U.S. Delegation Meets with Lebanese Officials, Discusses Support to Army, Situation in Syria

U.S. Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Lawrence Silverman discussed on Tuesday with Army chief Gen. Jean Qahwaji bilateral ties and military aid to Lebanon.

The state-run National News Agency said discussions between Qahwaji and Silverman focused on bilateral relations between the U.S. and Lebanese armies, in addition to the U.S. program of military assistance to Lebanon.

Silverman visited Lebanon along with Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Energy Diplomacy Amos Hochstein.

They had meetings with President Michel Suleiman, Speaker Nabih Berri, Prime Minister Najib Miqati, and Minister of Energy Gebran Bassil on Monday.

In their meetings, “Hochstein and Silverman expressed their support for the Lebanese government’s efforts to implement fair and transparent regulations for Lebanon’s energy sector, and discussed Lebanon’s maritime exclusive economic zone,” the U.S. embassy said in a statement on Monday.

“They further underscored the United States’ commitment to assist refugees from Syria and the Lebanese communities that host them,” it said.

“They also welcomed the efforts of Lebanese leaders to reach consensus and uphold Lebanon’s democratic and constitutional principles and hold parliamentary elections on time,” the statement added.

Accompanied by U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Maura Connelly, the delegation later met with Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat and both men discussed the latest developments on the Lebanese scene.

Meanwhile, talks with Phalange Party leader Amin Gemayel tackled the situation in Syria and its repercussions on Lebanon, in addition to the internal political crises amid the absence of consensus on the electoral law.