Lebanese President Joseph Aoun attends a press conference following the multilateral meeting "Eastern Mediterranean - MEDOR" at the presidential palace of the Élysée in Paris on March 28, 2025. (Credit: Sarah Meysonnier/AFP)
BEIRUT — President Joseph Aoun on Thursday praised Hezbollah’s "flexibility" on the issue of handing over their weapons and cited a willingness to cooperate under a specific timetable, according to MP Sagih Attieh, who spoke after their meeting at Baabda Presidential Palace.
"Hezbollah has shown a lot of flexibility regarding cooperation on the issue of weapons, according to a specific timeline," said Attieh, an MP with the National Moderation block, quoting Aoun. The Lebanese presidency later posted the quote on its official X account.
Aoun made the remarks during a meeting with a delegation from the National Moderation bloc, primarily composed of Sunni MPs from northern Lebanon and former members of Saad Hariri’s Future Movement.
The state-run National News Agency (NNA) also quoted Attieh as saying that the president expressed optimism, adding that Hezbollah’s "constructive stance should be welcomed with a positive attitude and an understanding of the new context the country is going through."
Aoun’s comments come as Hezbollah, significantly weakened following its latest conflict with Israel, appears to have opened the door to talks about its disarmament. According to remarks relayed by Reuters on Tuesday, a senior Hezbollah official said the group was willing to engage in discussions within the framework of a national defense strategy. This willingness, however, is conditional on Israel’s withdrawal from five strategic positions it still occupies in southern Lebanon and an end to the near-daily strikes that have continued since the U.S.-brokered cease-fire took effect Nov. 27, 2024.
In his Jan. 9 inauguration speech, Aoun pledged to establish a state monopoly over weapons. He also intends to launch talks with Hezbollah regarding its arsenal, according to three Lebanese political sources cited by Reuters.
Separately, the president confirmed that municipal elections will proceed as scheduled. According to NNA, Aoun praised "full cooperation with Prime Minister Nawaf Salam on appointments, laws and decrees," and described a "new spirit of partnership" within the Cabinet. He added that the government had addressed several major issues in just six weeks and expressed optimism about solving a range of political and economic challenges.
After a three-year delay, the Interior Ministry has called on citizens to vote starting May 4 to elect new municipal councils and mukhtars. The elections, which will take place over four consecutive Sundays, have been repeatedly postponed since 2022 due to Lebanon’s economic collapse and, later, the 2024 war between Hezbollah and Israel.