Beirut, April 7 (IANS) Lebanese President Joseph Aoun reaffirmed on Monday that disarming Hezbollah is a national and international priority, stressing that the only viable path to achieving this goal is through dialogue, a statement from the presidency said.
“As I said in my inauguration speech, there is no place for weapons or armed groups outside the framework of the state,” Aoun stated. “These issues must be resolved through communication and dialogue. After all, Hezbollah is a Lebanese component.”
He also revealed that work will soon begin on drafting a National Security Strategy, which will lay the foundation for a National Defence Strategy.
“We are all committed to the same objective,” he added. “Differences in opinion are normal; that’s the essence of democracy. What matters is that our goal is unified.”
Aoun’s remarks came during a meeting with a delegation from the American Task Force on Lebanon, led by Edward Gabriel, Xinhua news agency reported. The delegation delivered a clear message from Washington emphasising two urgent priorities: the disarmament of Hezbollah and the implementation of reforms necessary for Lebanon to access international financial aid.
Gabriel praised the efforts of the Lebanese army and the President personally, while also noting that “there is still much to be done.” He added that the quicker reforms are implemented, the sooner the US can offer meaningful support.
Gabriel also disclosed that the US Congress is preparing a funding bill for Lebanon next year.
In addition, Aoun emphasized the need to ease tensions in the south, underlining that Lebanon needs both time and space to resolve issues calmly.
He called on the United States to pressure Israel to withdraw from the five points Israel continues to occupy, saying their presence complicates the situation further. To bolster security, he noted that the Lebanese government had recently approved the recruitment of 4,500 soldiers.
Since November 27, 2024, a ceasefire agreement between Lebanon’s Hezbollah and Israel has been in effect, putting an end to more than a year of hostilities triggered by the war in Gaza.
Despite the agreement, the Israeli military occasionally carries out strikes in Lebanon, claiming that the operations target Hezbollah “threats”.
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