President Joseph Aoun meeting with a delegation from the Middle East Institute. (Credit: Lebanese Presidency)
BEIRUT — President Joseph Aoun said during a meeting with a delegation from the Washington-based Middle East Institute think tank, headed by retired U.S. General Joseph Votel, that "it is in the interest of the United States that Lebanon remains a stable and secure country," according to the Lebanese Presidency.
Aoun pointed out during the meeting that the Lebanese army needs "urgent assistance to enable military units to assume their responsibilities in maintaining security and stability in the country," adding that the U.S. should help Lebanon in achieving lasting stability and security, according to the state-run National News Agency.
This statement came as Lebanese authorities are pressing the U.S. and France, both guarantors of the cease-fire agreement enforced in Nov. 2024, to put pressure on Israel to stop its continuous violations of the deal, after the Israeli army bombed Beirut's southern suburbs on Sunday and keeps striking southern Lebanon almost daily.
According to Lebanese media, the head of the cease-fire agreement supervision committee, U.S. General Jesper Jeffers, is due to meet Aoun tomorrow, Wednesday, April 30.
'The state's decision to monopolize arms is irreversible'
Aoun also told the U.S. delegation that “the decision to monopolize on weapons is irreversible because it is widely supported by the Lebanese and friendly countries,” adding that this process will not cause security unrest in the country.
According to Aoun, the process will be done through "dialogue with those concerned who are also keen on stability, civil peace and the role of the central state."
He added that “developments in the region are still favorable to the adoption of peaceful solutions, even if this requires some time to avoid obstacles.” Discussions on Hezbollah's arsenal come at a time when the party has emerged very weakened from the war with Israel, which began on Oct. 8, 2023, and intensified in September 2024, before the cease-fire on Nov. 27, 2024, during which a large part of its leadership was assassinated, including its leader, Hassan Nasrallah.
Economically, Aoun stressed that Lebanon is "proceeding with economic, financial and administrative reforms."
He pointed out that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank Spring meetings with the Lebanese delegation were "good," hoping that they would have "positive results on the financial and economic levels."
"Fighting corruption is one of the most prominent goals that I am working for in cooperation with the government and the parliament ... in addition to the key role that the judiciary will play after the judicial formations that will be issued soon," Aoun said.
Return of Syrian refugees
Regarding the Lebanese-Syrian border, Aoun said that he constantly monitoring the situation there, adding that the army is "present on this border to prevent smuggling of all kinds and to regulate the movement between the two countries.”
In February and March, sporadic clashes erupted between clans, reputedly close to Hezbollah, and Syrian authorities at the border. At the end of March, Lebanese and Syrian defense ministers met in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia and agreed to strengthen security and military coordination along their common border, known to be porous, stretching 330 kilometers, and signed an agreement in principle for its demarcation.
On April 24, a drone packed with explosives and artillery fire was launched from Syrian territory against a farm located in this area in northern Bekaa, injuring eight. The Syrian authorities accused Hezbollah of firing shells from Lebanon, claiming to have immediately retaliated, while the Lebanese Army reported "fire" from Lebanon. The army then deployed in the area and implemented security measures to ease tensions.
Regarding the issue of Syrian refugees, Aoun emphasized that “Lebanon is committed to returning these refugees to their country ... especially since the political and security reasons for the presence of the majority of these refugees in Lebanon have disappeared after the changes that occurred in Syria,” adding that “the lifting of economic sanctions on Syria revitalizes the Syrian economy and provides opportunities for the refugees to return to their country instead of remaining economic refugees in Lebanon.”
Lebanon hosts, according to official estimates, 1.5 million Syrians, including 755,426 registered as refugees with the U.N., who fled the civil war in their country since 2011. Last March, massacres on the Syrian coast, in predominantly Alawite villages, drove more than 20,000 Syrians to seek refuge in North Lebanon, primarily in Akkar villages.