US official stresses needs to avoid power vacuum in Lebanon

Visiting U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Elizabeth Jones stressed Wednesday here in Beirut the importance to avert any vacuum in the Lebanese political arena, Lebanese official National News Agency ( NNA) reported. "It is important that (Lebanon's) state institutions continue to do their work and prevent any vacuum in the country, especially amid the current regional developments," the U.S. official said. Jones met Lebanese President Michel Suleiman and Prime Minister Najib Mikati Wednesday and discussed the bilateral relations and regional developments during her meetings. She said that the United States decided "to resume military aid to the Lebanese army in order to help it perform its role in preserving security." The senior official also said the United States supported Suleiman's call for a dialogue among all Lebanese parties to bridge their political differences.