Watkins Meets Berri, Lauds his Efforts in Settling Dispute over STL Funding

U.N. Special Coordinator for Lebanon ad interim Robert Watkins stressed on Monday the importance of maintaining peace and stability in Lebanon at this time of dramatic changes in the region.

He said after holding talks with Speaker Nabih Berri at Ain al-Tineh: “In that regard, I very much welcomed the role that the speaker played last week in finding a solution to the funding of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon. His role was very much appreciated by the United Nations.”

“I came here to personally express our thanks to him,” he added.

Watkins also stressed the need for Lebanon to make all efforts to ensure that stability is maintained in the country.

“I told Berri that the U.N. welcomes any step that Lebanon took to ensure stability and I voiced our expectation that he would help in continuing to respect all of Lebanon’s international obligations, including those related to Security Council resolution 1701 and other resolutions that affect Lebanon,” he continued.

“The U.N. also encourages the different sides in Lebanon to resume the national dialogue that would be chaired by the president of Lebanon in order to seek a solution to existing disagreements,” he stated.

“We also hope the resumption of cabinet meetings this week will help address many of the daily socio-economic frustrations of the Lebanese people, which may have contributed to a rise in tension in recent days and weeks,” he noted.

Watkins and Berri also discussed the situation in the Arab world.