U.S. President Barack Obama congratulated the Lebanese people on Friday on the occasion of Lebanon’s 71st Independence Day, lamenting on the anniversary the current vacuum in the presidency. He said in a message to Lebanon: “As a friend of the Lebanese people, the United States regrets this anniversary day passes without an elected president of the Lebanese Republic, an important but missing symbol of the unity of the nation and a key factor in promoting Lebanese sovereignty and stability.”

 

“The election of a president must be a Lebanese decision only, but it is a decision that must be taken for the sake of the Lebanese people,” he added. “The United States strongly supports Lebanon’s founding principles of sovereignty and independence, and the exercise of freedoms for all,” he continued. “The United States is proud of our strong relations with the Lebanese people. These include economic, cultural, and educational ties over many generations.,” said Obama. [Link]