(13 Jan 2012)
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1. United Nations Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon entering news conference and walking to podium
2. SOUNDBITE (English) Ban Ki-moon, UN Secretary-General:
"I expressed my gratitude to the Lebanese government for accommodating all these refugees coming from Syria and also the Lebanese government has been accommodating many Palestinian refugees here despite the social and economic difficulties. It must have been a burden, for specific case of the Syrian refugees who may be coming across the border. I encouraged the leadership of Lebanon to accommodate on the basis of humanitarian ground and they should not be returned to Syria."
3. Wide of news conference
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Ban Ki-moon, UN Secretary-General:
"We are deeply concerned about the military capacity of Hezbollah and we are also concerned about the lack of progress in disarmament. This is why we discussed this matter very seriously and I strongly encouraged President Suleiman to initiate by conveying this national dialogue to address all these issues. The United Nations is deeply committed to see the disarmament and all these arms outside the authorised state authority is not acceptable."
5. Mid of photographers
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6. Ban walking in corridor in house of Lebanese parliament speaker Nabih Berri
7. Mid of Ban meeting with Berri
8. Close of Ban
9. Mid of delegation officials
STORYLINE:
The United Nations (UN) Secretary-General says he is "deeply concerned" about the military capacity of the Lebanese Hezbollah militant group and the lack of progress in its disarmament.
Ban Ki-moon says the presence of any weapons outside state authority is "not acceptable."
The UN chief was speaking at a news conference in Beirut following his arrival earlier on Friday.
He urged Lebanese officials to resume a national dialogue to discuss the Iranian-backed group's weapons that are outside government control.
Ban said he discussed the situation in Syria and its potential impact on the country and urged Lebanese officials to welcome Syrian refugees so that they would not have to return to the ongoing troubles.
Hezbollah's weapons are a contentious issue in Lebanon.
The group says it needs to maintain its powerful arsenal to ward off any threat from Israel but the weapons also make it the most potent military force in Lebanon, stronger than even the national army.
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