Egyptian ambassador congratulates Aoun for his speech on Lebanese Army Day

Egypt’s ambassador to Lebanon, Alaa Moussa, congratulated President Joseph Aoun on Friday for his speech delivered the previous day on the occasion of Army Day, emphasizing the role of the military in maintaining "stability and sovereignty," following a meeting with Aoun at the Baabda Palace, at a time when Hezbollah still refuses to give up its arsenal to the Lebanese state despite local and international pressure.

"We congratulated President Aoun for his speech yesterday [Thursday], which stood out for its seriousness and clarity. We are taking advantage of Army Day to stress the role of the military as a guarantor of stability and sovereignty, and we recognize the importance of the efforts made to arrive at a clear plan on the monopoly of weapons. There is a broad internal consensus on the need for the state to be able to extend its sovereignty over the entire Lebanese territory," Alaa Moussa said.

In a speech delivered on Army Day, President Aoun emphasized Thursday that the military and security forces must have the exclusive monopoly on weapons "throughout Lebanese territory ... starting today." This strong speech, which broadly echoes the president's notable remarks at his inauguration, was an opportunity for him to send several messages, notably to Hezbollah. He called on the party-militia, as well as its base, to "place their bets on the Lebanese state" and urged critics of the Shiite group to avoid "provocation and one-upmanship."

Nawaf Salam’s government is preparing to tackle the thorny issue of Hezbollah’s disarmament next Tuesday. U.S. envoy Tom Barrack has made several visits to Beirut since the beginning of the summer to support an American proposal on this same issue.