Readout of the Secretary-General''s meeting with Prime Minister Saad Hariri of Lebanon

New York, 9 January 2011. The Secretary-General met with the Prime Minister of Lebanon early this evening. They had a cordial and constructive meeting. The Secretary-General commended the Prime Minister for his leadership of Lebanon at a critical time. On the Special Tribunal, the Secretary-General reiterated his support for the work of the Tribunal, and stressed that it is an independent body. He hoped its work would help end impunity in Lebanon. They also discussed regional and other efforts to promote stability. The two discussed a number of aspects of Security Council Resolution 1701, including the need to end Israeli air violations. The Secretary-General stressed the importance of both parties working for the full implementation of the resolution, and the good work being done by UNIFIL. He took note of the Lebanese concerns on the maritime boundary issues.

Other issues under discussion included the Middle East peace process, and the importance of the Arab Peace Initiative in the search for a resolution of the Arab-Israeli conflict.