(PARIS, FRANCE) — Former Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri held a meeting with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry on Thursday, to discuss the ongoing presidential void and the steps to strengthen security forces in Lebanon.
The hour-long breakfast in Paris was attended by a number of U.S. officials, according to the Associated Press. Kerry and Hariri reportedly discussed the impact of the Syrian refugees in Lebanon and the efforts needed by the international community to help the country cope with the influx of refugees.
According to AFP, Kerry and Hariri also discussed Wednesday’s suicide bomber who blew himself up at a Beirut hotel to escape arrest, the third explosion in the country in less than a week.
“It’s all very sensitive that this not be symptomatic,” a senior State Department official said after the Paris talks. “We strongly condemned the bombing and are hoping that the perpetrators are brought to justice.”
Three suicide bombers blew themselves up in Lebanon this week, raising concerns of a return to last year’s series of deadly attacks, mostly linked to the crisis in Syria.