Remarks With New Lebanese Ambassador Antoine Chedid Before Meeting with US Secretary of State Condaleezza Rice

From the United States Deptartment of State
Washington, DC August 9, 2007

SECRETARY RICE: Well, it's a real pleasure to receive you on behalf of the Democratic Government of Lebanon and I very much look forward to working with you. I'm sure we’ll have very close contact because the United States is and wants to be a friend of a free and sovereign Lebanon. And I speak frequently with the leadership of Prime Minister Siniora. And I look forward to working with you on whatever we can to make your country more prosperous and more stable.

MR. CHEDID: Thank you very much. I immediately felt the warmth at the reception here in Washington and I'm very honored and glad to be here, of course, to work with you, Madame Secretary, and visit with your colleagues to take (inaudible) organization to another level, whatever it is. So I'm glad to be here. And before I came, I talked with Prime Minister Siniora. He asked me to convey his greetings to you; that he is very appreciative of all the efforts that you are making.

SECRETARY RICE: Well, thank you very much.