US, KSA, France urge president who can 'unite the Lebanese'

Representatives from the United States, France, and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia have met to discuss Lebanon on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly.

“Our three countries expressed their continuing support for Lebanon’s sovereignty, security, and stability. As Lebanon’s Parliament prepares to elect a new President, we stress the importance of timely elections in compliance with the constitution. It is critical to elect a President who can unite the Lebanese people and work with regional and international actors to overcome the current crisis,” ministers from the three countries said in a joint statement.

“We call for the formation of a government capable of implementing the structural and economic reforms urgently needed to address Lebanon’s political and economic crises, specifically those reforms needed to reach an agreement with the International Monetary Fund,” they added.

“We are willing to work jointly with Lebanon to support the implementation of these fundamental reform measures, which are critical to the country’s future prosperity, stability, and security. We acknowledge the critical role the Lebanese Armed Forces and the Internal Security Forces – as the legitimate defenders of Lebanon’s sovereignty and internal stability – continue to play in protecting the Lebanese people in a time of unprecedented crisis,” the three countries added.

They also affirmed the need for the Lebanese government to “implement the provisions of UN Security Council resolutions 1559, 1680, 1701, 2650, and other relevant international resolutions, including those issued by the Arab League, and commit to the Taif Agreement which enables the preservation of national unity and civil peace in Lebanon.”