Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati discussed here Friday developments in the Middle East in general and southern Lebanon in particular with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. Mikati said, during a joint press conference with Meloni, that the meeting dealt with bilateral relations between Lebanon and Italy, in addition to issues of common interest in the Middle East and the situation in southern Lebanon. Mikati added: The Italian Prime Minister wanted to visit Lebanon in these difficult circumstances we are going through to express her solidarity with Lebanon and its people and as a message of Italian support for the role and tasks of the international peacekeeping forces in southern Lebanon. He noted that the meeting dealt with the ongoing war in the south, where the two sides reiterated that a diplomatic solution must come before war, violence and destruction, and is represented first by the Israeli entity's full commitment to a ceasefire, the full implementation of UN Security Council Re solution 1701, and the cessation of violations of Lebanese sovereignty. The caretaker Prime Minister of Lebanon stressed the Lebanese army's readiness to be present in the south to carry out its duties in full cooperation with UNIFIL forces, expressing his appreciation for Italy's significant contribution to UNIFIL forces, which reflects its commitment to Lebanon's safety, stability and territorial integrity. He added that the meeting touched on the need to expedite the election of a new president for Lebanon, as it is essential to launch the required economic reform process and kick-start the economic recovery with the support of Lebanon's friends in the world. For her part, the Italian Prime Minister considered it unacceptable to target the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), accusing the Israeli entity of targeting its sites in southern Lebanon. Georgia Meloni added that all parties must guarantee the safety of every UNIFIL soldier at all times. Lebanon has been subjected to Israeli aggr ession since October 2023, but in recent days the Israeli entity has increased the pace of aerial and artillery bombardment in an unprecedented manner, and expanded the scope of its targeting to extend to the capital, Beirut, killing and wounding of thousands of Lebanese, in addition to forcing more than a million people to flee their homes. Source: Qatar News Agency