"This is a very critical time for Lebanon, and I think it's important that I've come here myself to discuss with the Lebanese authorities the aftermath of the war ... and to underscore international solidarity," Annan said on his arrival.
Annan met Prime Minister Fuad Siniora and parliament speaker Nabih Berri - a close ally of Shiite militant group Hezbollah - among other politicians.
"We are entering the stage of recovery and reconstruction, we have a chance to have a long-term ceasefire," Annan said after his meeting with Berri.
Berri said that his talks with Annan focused on the punishing Israeli air and naval blockade on Lebanon which, he said, was in violation of the UN-brokered truce and insisted that Lebanon had abided by all the terms of the ceasefire.
During his two-day visit Annan said that he plans to discuss with Lebanese leaders measures needed to implement the UN resolution that put a stop to Israel's devastating 34-day offensive.
Annan was also expected to push Lebanese leaders to better police the border with Syria to prevent suspected arms smuggling to Hezbollah from Iran.
He was likely to stress that Lebanon, rather than the United Nations, must ensure that the militant group abides by the UN-brokered truce that came into force August 14, and refrains from any operations in the border area.
On the eve of his visit Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah said that his fighters would not oppose the expanded UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) being deployed in the south, but warned that the peacekeepers should not seek to disarm them.
"We have No Problem with UNIFIL as long as its mission is not aimed at disarming Hezbollah," Nasrallah said in a television interview Sunday.
Much of southern Lebanon lies in ruins after Israel's offensive against Hezbollah, whose July 12 capture of two Israeli soldiers sparked a conflict that left at least 1,287 dead in Lebanon, nearly all of them civilians, as well as 160 Israelis, mostly soldiers.
And Nasrallah said that he would never have ordered the soldiers' capture had he foreseen the severity of the Israeli response.
Annan's visit follows Europe's pledge of up to 7,000 troops to form the core of a strengthened peacekeeping mission capable of bolstering the truce.
Half of the European Union troops are expected to be deployed rapidly, with about 200 French engineers and troops arriving at the weekend.
France, Lebanon's former colonial power, is to lead the force with 2,000 troops until February of next year, when it will be taken over by Italy, which is contributing up to 3,000 troops.
French President Jacques Chirac warned Monday that fighting would resume unless there was a long-term settlement involving all parties in the conflict.
"The choice is between a resumption of hostilities, creating a permanent rift between two neighboring peoples, and the political option of a global and durable settlement," he said.
Mohammed Chatah, Siniora's top advisor, said at the weekend that Siniora would also bring up the disputed Shebaa Farms area.
The territory, located at the junction of Lebanon, Syria, and Israel, was captured by the Jewish state as part of the Syrian Golan Heights during the 1967 war.
It is now claimed by Lebanon with the approval of Syria in an arrangement that is not recognized by the United Nations.
Nasrallah said on Sunday that contacts had begun through the Lebanese parliament speaker for an exchange of the two captive soldiers for Arab prisoners held by Israel.
But Germany dismissed reports that Berlin had brokered a deal for a prisoner swap and Italy also denied claims by Nasrallah that it was involved in secret negotiations.
Israeli officials, who have publicly insisted that the soldiers must be freed without precondition, have also denied that they were involved in negotiations with Hezbollah, Israeli public radio reported.
On Tuesday Annan is to visit the UN peacekeeping force's headquarters in the coastal town of Naqura, by the Israeli border, before heading on to Egypt and then Amman, Israel, and Syria.
The UN chief is also expected to travel to Iran Saturday for talks on the Islamic republic's standoff with the West over its nuclear program.
© 2006 Agence France-Presse
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