United Nations, Jan 17 (.) There continues to be a need for the Lebanese armed forces to get more resources and financial support to strengthen its capacities to secure the country’s southern border, UN Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix said Friday.
While the Lebanese armed forces is increasing its numbers and presence, which “is an encouraging process,” it is acknowledged by the Lebanese authorities and the Lebanese armed forces that there continues to be a need for more resources and financial support “in terms of capacities,” Lacroix told reporters at the UN headquarters in New York via video link, in response to a question posed by Xinhua.
Lacroix said that in his discussions with the Lebanese authorities, there was an interest from the Lebanese side to retain, at least temporarily, some of the capacities that UNIFIL currently has to continue the efforts to strengthen the capacity of the Lebanese armed forces.
“So the objectives are clear … it continues to be more that needs to be done on the point of view of strengthening,” he said, adding that Lebanon’s police and security forces continue to require a very strong level of support from the international community.
When asked if he was concerned about a potential escalation between Lebanon and Isreal when UNIFIL is winding down its mandate, Lacroix said the United Nations and UNIFIL “will do our best” politically with all the tools available to support the advancement of the current efforts, “which hopefully would bring about a situation of lesser tension between Lebanon and Israel.”
. XINHUA ARN