UNIFIL Head Meets New LAF Chief, Stresses Enhanced Cooperation

UNIFIL Head of Mission and Force Commander Major General Michael Beary on Thursday paid his first visit to the newly appointed Commander of the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF), General Joseph Aoun, in Beirut.

During the meeting, the two Commanders discussed a wide range of issues concerning the implementation of UNIFIL’s mandate along the Blue Line and in south Lebanon, while underscoring an enhanced UNIFIL-LAF cooperation.

“Your experience is critical for further strengthening our collaboration in advancing security in the South,” Major General Beary told General Aoun, while congratulating the latter on his promotion. “Close cooperation between UNIFIL and LAF is a key element in maintaining calm in the south and it is therefore critical to strengthen it.”

During the meeting, Beary noted that General Aoun’s prior experience of working in UNIFIL’s area of operations in the South would be “instrumental in advancing the already existing excellent cooperation with the LAF,” a UNIFIL statement said.

General Aoun was the commander of LAF’s 9th Brigade in the eastern sector of UNIFIL’s area of operations in south Lebanon until October 2016.

The UNIFIL head also briefed the LAF Commander on the recently completed Strategic Review of UNFIL.

“Strategic Dialogue should be intensified and we look forward to cooperating closely with you to further this priority,” said Beary.

“In addition we are looking forward to enhancing collaboration by extending LAF’s civil-military cooperation (CIMIC) activities to the UNIFIL AO (area of operations) and to establishing a LAF CIMIC office in the South,” he added.