US envoy discusses shaky ceasefire, reforms with Lebanese leaders

Washington [US], April 6: US deputy special envoy to the Middle East, Morgan Ortagus, began an official visit to Lebanon with a "constructive" meeting with President Joseph Aoun on Saturday, according to a statement from the president's office.
The visit comes against the backdrop of a fragile ceasefire between Israel and the Lebanese Hezbollah militia, which came into effect in November.
The talks focused on key issues, including the situation in southern Lebanon and the country's ongoing economic reforms aimed at combating corruption, the presidential statement said. Ortagus also held separate meetings with Lebanon's Prime Minister Nawaf Salam and parliamentary speaker Nabih Berri.
According to Lebanese media, Ortagus was also scheduled to meet with the Lebanese army chief and the governor of the central bank, as well as several other officials and political figures in the financially troubled country.
A senior Lebanese official told the Al-Joumhouria newspaper that Lebanon's leaders planned to stress the need for full implementation of the ceasefire deal.
In recent weeks, several rockets have been fired from southern Lebanon towards northern Israel. The Iran-backed Hezbollah militia has denied responsibility.
Israel retaliated to the attacks by striking Beirut's southern suburbs, a stronghold of Hezbollah.
Lebanon's state-run National News Agency (NNA) reported that Ortagus' talks with Salam focused on financial and economic reforms.
The US envoy praised the government's reform agenda, which includes lifting banking secrecy, drafting a banking sector reform law, launching a new mechanism for public appointments, and administrative and institutional revamps, according to the report.
Ortagus also expressed satisfaction with recent security measures at Rafik Hariri International Airport in Beirut, NNA reported without elaborating.
Talks also covered Lebanon's border with Syria, where Hezbollah once had a foothold under the now-toppled Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad, NNA said.
It reported that the discussions emphasized the importance of asserting full control to prevent unrest and smuggling across the border. Ortagus has not made any public remarks.
Source: Qatar Tribune