Lebanon: UN envoy meets foreign minister on plans to reconfigure UN mission

A United Nations envoy in Lebanon today held "cordial and friendly" discussions with Lebanese Foreign Minister Mahmoud Hammoud, who received from the UN official a copy of the Secretary-General Kofi Annan's latest report on the UN mission in the country (UNIFIL).

According to a UN spokesman, the Secretary-General's Personal Representative for Southern Lebanon, Staffan de Mistura, exchanged views with the Foreign Minister on the situation in the south of the country, as well as on Mr. Annan's report, according to a UN spokesman.

That report, which was released yesterday, contains recommendations for reconfiguring UNIFIL to bring it in line with prevailing conditions and to allow for greater mobility of the mission.

Later in the day, Mr. de Mistura met with Ambassador Mohamed Omran of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to discuss the implementation of the $50 million pledge by the UAE towards demining activities in southern Lebanon, spokesman Fred Eckhard said. According to UN estimates, there are more that 100,000 active mines in the region.