Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General 16 Apr 2015

**Lebanon

And from Lebanon, the Special Coordinator for Lebanon, Sigrid Kaag, and the Heads of Mission of the Permanent Members of the Security Council, Italy and Germany, met today with the Maronite Patriarch Bechara Boutros el-Rahi.

After their meeting, they said that they shared the Patriarch's concern over the protracted vacancy of the office of the Presidency, soon to reach the one-year mark — in particular that this stalemate is undermining Lebanon's ability to address the security, economic and social challenges it faces.

They also committed to send a strong message to Lebanese leaders to adhere to the country's Constitution and to call on all parties to act responsibly and to put Lebanon's stability and national interests ahead of partisan politics.