Ban Stresses ‘Open Dialogue,’ Says Lebanon Should Continue to Fund Tribunal
U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon has stressed that the Lebanese government should “abide by its commitments” and continue to pay its share of the international tribunal’s funds.
In remarks to Arab satellite TV network al-Arabiya, Ban said Lebanon should be loyal to its commitments because the court was established by the Security Council upon the demand of the Lebanese people and government.
Meanwhile, his spokesman, Martin Nesirky, said Friday that Ban is “concerned” over the situation in Lebanon and stresses the importance of stability during the government formation process.
“It’s not for the Secretary-General to recommend how a sovereign country goes about forming a government. What, simply, the Secretary-General has said is that it’s obvious that what’s important is stability,” Nesirky said in his press briefing.
The spokesman also stressed on “open dialogue between all the parties concerned” to solve the Lebanese crisis.
When asked if the U.N. has a contingency plan to move the U.N. personnel from Beirut to Cyprus?, Nesirky said: “We don’t discuss security arrangements. As you all know, UNIFIL has said very clearly that it has, and has had already in place, adequate measures.”
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