Salam tells Barrack of need for int'l conference for reconstruction, recovery

Prime Minister Nawaf Salam on Monday told visiting U.S. envoy Tom Barrack that the government’s latest decisions on Hezbollah’s disarmament “stemmed from the higher national interest.”

Salam added that “the U.S. side should carry out its responsibility in pressing Israel to halt hostilities, withdraw from the five points and release the captives.”

Salam also stressed “the priority of supporting and enhancing the capabilities of the Lebanese Armed Forces, in salaries and equipment, to enable them to perform the missions requested from them.”

And emphasizing “the importance of renewing the mandate of the UNIFIL forces in light of their role in consolidating stability and supporting the army in extending the state’s authority in the South,” the premier called for “declaring a clear international commitment to holding a conference for supporting reconstruction and economic recovery in Lebanon.”

Speaking later in the day at the Rashid Karami International Fair in Tripoli, Salam said “the decision to monopolize arms in the hand of the state has been taken and without that there can be no security or stability.”

“Without security and stability, investments will not come and the economy will not grow,” he added.