BEIRUT: U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry Wednesday pressed Lebanese lawmakers to swiftly elect a strong president, while insisting the election be free from foreign interference.
“It is important for the presidential vacuum to be filled so the people of Lebanon can reap the benefits of a fully functioning government, a government free from foreign influence,” Kerry said after a meeting with Prime Minister Tammam Salam at the Grand Serail. “We will remain engaged in efforts to move forward.”
The secretary said his country would continue its support to Lebanese security forces to calm tensions and secure the borders of Lebanon, which has suffered spillover violence from the Syrian civil war.
” Lebanon is a very important country for the security of the region and beyond,” Kerry said. “The U.S. is very committed to its stability and sovereignty.”
Kerry called on Syrian President Bashar Assad’s allies to help bring the war to an end.
“I call on … Iran, Russia, and I call on Hezbollah, based right here in Lebanon, to engage in a legitimate effort to bring this war to an end,” Kerry said.
Hezbollah admitted last year that it was sending fighters into Syria, and while Iran has denied it has done the same, it is widely believed to be funding and supporting Assad’s war effort.
The secretary pledged an additional $290M in assistance for Syrian crisis response. Lebanon will receive $51M, Kerry said.
As of March, the United States had donated more than $1.7 billion in humanitarian aid over the last three years to respond to the Syrian crisis, with slightly more than half directed to programs operating inside of Syria.
After the press conference, Kerry met with U.N. Special Representative for Lebanon Derek Plumbly.
Kerry arrived earlier in the afternoon in a private jet at Rafik Hariri International Airport, where he was received by U.S. Ambassador David Hale. The secretary then headed to the Grand Serail, where he met with Prime Minister Tammam Salam. Hale, U.S. State Department Deputy Chief of Staff Jonathan Finer and Vice Admiral Kurt Tidd also attended Kerry’s meeting with Salam.
Kerry is also to hold talks with Speaker Nabih Berri and Maronite Patriarch Beshara Rai during his brief visit to Lebanon.
Kerry has visited the country in the past as the head of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, but Wednesday is the first time Lebanon has seen America’s top diplomat since Hillary Clinton’s visit in 2009.
Source: The Daily Star