BEIRUT, Feb. 26 (Xinhua) -- UN peacekeeping top official welcomed Monday the increasing Lebanese army presence in southern Lebanon during a meeting with Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri.
"We had a very good discussion with the Prime Minister. I thanked him for the very good relation we have with the Lebanese government in fulfilling UNIFIL's mission," said UN Secretary General for Peacekeeping Operations, Jean-Pierre Lacroix.
"We mentioned particularly the cooperation we have with the Lebanese armed forces and the fact that the Lebanese armed forces strengthened their presence in Southern Lebanon and this is something that we welcome," he added.
Lacroix said that the UNIFIL's role in defusing tensions at the border "has a very important preventative role, which is very important particularly in a time where tensions arise, including verbal tensions, and UNIFIL is very, very present in this area of operation."
"We agreed that this role is very crucial and we take it very seriously," he said.
Lacroix touched on the importance of UNIFIL's role in mediating talks between Lebanon and Israel, known as tripartite meetings, at the southern-most point of Naqoura.
