Rubio says US 'remains very committed' to Lebanon

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said that there is a “historic” opportunity in Lebanon and that the U.S. "remains very committed in that regard" and to ensuring there is "a strong Lebanese state."

He added that this Lebanese state should be “respectful of the diversity of that country” and “free of the influence of Iran and Hezbollah and others who might undermine that stability.”

Rubio also said that the Lebanese state should be able to “exert its sovereignty,” hoping Lebanon “can emerge from a longstanding economic crisis.”

The U.S. top diplomat voiced his remarks during a New York meeting with Gulf Cooperation Council Secretary General Jasem Mohamed Al-Budaiwi and the Foreign Ministers of the Gulf Cooperation Council Member States.