Prime Minister Dr. Nawaf Salam received US Senator Jeanne Shaheen, a senior member of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee, at the headquarters of Lebanon's Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York, in the presence of Lebanon's Ambassador to the United States Nada Hamadeh Moawad. During the meeting, discussions touched on the latest developments in Lebanon and the region, as well as Lebanese-US relations. Prime Minister Salam commended Senator Shaheen's positions in support of Lebanon, particularly her continuous support for the Lebanese Army. Prime Minister Salam affirmed the government's commitment to extending state authority, monopolizing weapons in the hands of the state, and pursuing reforms, stressing the importance of continued US support for the army, enhancing its capabilities, and mobilizing support for Lebanon on the path of recovery and reconstruction. Prime Minister Salam also pointed out the necessity of avoiding any vacuum that might arise with the end of UNIFIL's mission, affirming Lebanon's need for the continued presence of an international force in the South. For her part, Senator Shaheen stressed the importance of Lebanon continuing the path of confining arms to the state, and also affirmed the necessity for the Parliament to pass the financial gap law and proceed with the required reforms to reach an agreement with the International Monetary Fund.