Ban told Michel Sleiman in a phone call that he hoped that all parties in Lebanon would engage responsibly with the President and work together through dialogue to find a way forward in the national interest.

According to a read-out of the conversation, the Secretary-General also expressed his solidarity with Lebanon in its efforts to assist the growing influx of refugees fleeing the violence from Syria. He told Sleiman that he continues to urge the international community to do more to help Lebanon to deal with this serious humanitarian situation.

There are currently more than 375,000 refugees from Syria registered and awaiting registration with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Lebanon.