BEIRUT

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres arrived in Lebanon on Thursday in a "solidarity visit" with the Arab country.

Guterres landed at Beirut-Rafic Hariri International Airport heading a UN delegation, according to Lebanon’s National News Agency (NNA).

The agency said the delegation aims to “congratulate (President Joseph) Aoun on his election, meet with senior officials, and assess the situation in Lebanon.”

Caretaker Foreign Minister Abdullah Bou Habib welcomed Guterres and his delegation at the airport.

Following a reception ceremony, Bou Habib held a meeting with Guterres and the delegation at the airport's VIP lounge. The group then departed without making any statements.

“I have arrived in Beirut on a visit of solidarity with the Lebanese people,” said Guterres on X.

Farhan Haq, deputy spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General, said during a press briefing in New York that Guterres' visit would last three days.

Haq added that Guterres will meet with Lebanese officials and visit the headquarters of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) in the south.

Aoun was elected president on Jan. 9 after a presidential vacancy that lasted over two years caused by political disputes.

His election follows a devastating Israeli military campaign last fall which left Lebanon grappling with worsening political divisions and economic hardships.

*Writing by Rania Abu Shamala