Beirut, Jan 17 : United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said that the UN will exert all efforts to enable Lebanon to achieve economic recovery. Guterres made his remarks upon his arrival at the Beirut airport, Xinhua news agency reported. "The UN will support all Lebanese sectors with its capabilities so that Lebanon can return to being a country of peace, beauty, and prosperity in the region," he said. The UN chief said he visits Lebanon to express deep solidarity with the country and its people who have suffered from successive internal and regional crises.Guterres also stressed that the UN Interim Force in Lebanon and its offices will continue to support Lebanon and its stability. For his part, Lebanese Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib, who greeted Guterres at the airport, said, "Lebanon is a peace-loving country committed to international laws and resolutions of international legitimacy. It appreciates the UN's constant support for its sovereignty and independence, and it relies on the UN's role to help the country overcome the economic crisis and rebuild what was destroyed by the Israeli strikes."

Earlier, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk said that his office stands ready to strengthen human rights work in Lebanon and called for investment in the rule of law in the country. "My office stands ready to strengthen our human rights work and to accompany the country as it moves forward," he said on Thursday at a press conference in Beirut, according to a statement released by the United Nations Information Center.

Turk said he offered his office's support for key reforms needed to strengthen the rule of law, the independence of the judiciary, and the transparency of its work during discussions with the new Lebanese president and prime minister-designate, Xinhua news agency reported. "I welcome the President's public commitment to ensuring equality, justice, and protection for all and respecting liberties, free press, and expression," he said. Turk noted that with the new leadership in Lebanon, there is momentum for political stability, economic recovery, and long-overdue implementation of critical reforms to address the multiple socio-economic crises and gaping inequalities facing Lebanon. "Human rights offer a tool of governance. This was a powerful message that I conveyed," he said.

/IANS