Speaking in a televised interview about his visit to New York, Salam said the visit was aimed at reaffirming that “there is a new Lebanon that we are working to build along two parallel tracks: internal reform and restoring Lebanese sovereignty.”
Salam said discussions also focused on the period following the end of UNIFIL’s mission in southern Lebanon, stressing the need for an international presence to carry out monitoring, reporting and liaison tasks.
“We do not want any vacuum after the end of UNIFIL’s mission,” Salam said.
He said preparations were already underway for the next phase and for developing an appropriate framework for the international presence in the south, noting that proposals for a European force, whether French, Italian or from another country, had been circulating.
“Our position is clear: We want any international force in the south to operate under the umbrella of a Security Council resolution,” Salam said.