Beirut: Minister of National Defense, Major General Michel Menassa, on Tuesday received at his Yarzeh office the new commander of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), Italian General Diodato Abagnara, who came on an acquaintance visit following his appointment as UNIFIL commander succeeding Spanish General Aroldo Lazaro. General Abagnara emphasized UNIFIL’s commitment to continuing its mission in southern Lebanon in coordination with the Lebanese Army.

According to National News Agency – Lebanon, Minister Menassa welcomed General Abagnara and congratulated him on assuming UNIFIL’s command. He affirmed Lebanon’s full commitment to UN Resolution 1701 and stressed the need for intensified international pressure on Israel to fully withdraw from southern Lebanon. This withdrawal would enable the Lebanese Army to complete its deployment across all Lebanese territories in the south.

Both Major General Menassa and General Abagnara underscored the necessity of extending the mandate of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon next August without any modification to its mission.

Additionally, the Minister of Defense met with Romaric Runyan, Director of the North Africa and Middle East Department at the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and French Ambassador to Lebanon, Herve Magro. During the meeting, they discussed regional and international developments, as well as the frameworks of existing cooperation between Lebanon and France, particularly concerning supporting UNIFIL’s mission.

Runyan affirmed France’s continued efforts with the international community to extend UNIFIL’s mandate next August without any modification to its mission, citing its importance in supporting the Lebanese Army in ensuring security and stability in southern Lebanon.