Salam meets US Congress delegation at Grand Serail

BEIRUT — Prime Minister Nawaf Salam met Monday at the Grand Serail with U.S. Congressmen Darin LaHood and Steve Cohen, along with an accompanying delegation, to discuss "Lebanon’s efforts to reinforce state authority, implement key reforms and maintain regional stability," the Grand Serail said in a post on X.

Finance Minister Yassine Jaber gave a similar speech during a meeting with the same delegation at his ministry.

The meeting also touched on "continued U.S. support for the Lebanese Army and the importance of renewing the UNIFIL mandate in southern Lebanon."

LaHood commended the "Lebanese government's efforts to extend state authority across all its territory and to ensure that arms remain solely in the hands of the state." He also praised the "ongoing judicial and financial reforms, noting that such steps contribute to restoring international confidence in Lebanon," the Grand Serail said.

LaHood emphasized the "crucial role played by the Lebanese Army in maintaining security and stability."

On Aug. 5, the government tasked the Lebanese Army with preparing a plan to disarm all armed groups — including Hezbollah — before the end of the year.

Last Friday, Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem said the party was ready for a “confrontation” if disarmament was imposed. Two days after the Aug. 5 decision, the government approved the “roadmap” of U.S. envoy Tom Barrack, which sets out measures to enforce the cease-fire that went into effect on Nov. 27, 2024, after 13 months of war between Hezbollah and Israel. The “Barrack plan,” for which the U.S. envoy is expected to deliver Israeli responses at the start of the week during another visit to Beirut, calls for militia disarmament, discussions with Syria on border demarcation and a series of reforms.

The talks at the Grand Serail also addressed the importance of renewing the UNIFIL mandate. Tough negotiations are taking place behind the scenes at the Security Council as a crucial vote nears on renewing the mandate of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). Calling its work “ineffective,” Israel and the United States oppose keeping the peacekeepers or demand that a one-year renewal be the last. In contrast, Lebanon and France (which drafted the resolution) seek more flexibility, arguing that the U.N. mission’s presence has become even more vital.

For his part, Salam stressed the need for "Israel to respect Lebanon’s sovereignty and to withdraw from the remaining occupied Lebanese territories, enabling the army to fully deploy in the South."

He also called for "an end to Israeli hostilities and the release of detainees, as a foundation for launching a process of reconstruction and recovery." Salam reaffirmed that "the Lebanese Army represents all Lebanese, and that its support and empowerment remain a cornerstone of national security and stability."

Israel still occupies five positions in southern Lebanon, in violation of the cease-fire agreement. Israel also attacks southern Lebanon almost daily, and less frequently, the Bekaa and the southern suburbs of Beirut.

'Lebanon has fulfilled its obligations'

Welcoming the delegation at the Finance Ministry, Jaber also called on the United States and the international community to provide serious guarantees to “ensure lasting stability for the residents of the South and all populations targeted by Israeli attacks,” according to a statement from the ministry.

The minister, affiliated with the Amal movement, affirmed that the people living in the South, the Bekaa, and the southern suburbs — three predominantly Shiite areas — “aspire to a dignified life and do not want war.”

He deplored that “despite the cease-fire agreement, Israel continues to violate land and airspace, attack, assassinate, destroy, refuses to withdraw from occupied areas, and prevents residents from accessing their homes and livelihoods, without anyone deterring it.”

“We understand that the region is going through major changes, and I believe Lebanon has fulfilled its obligations, but the other parties must also fulfill theirs,” he added.

Jaber also emphasized that stability is essential to enable the “building of the state” and to restart projects like offshore oil exploration along the Lebanese coast, which are currently halted despite the resolution of the border dispute between Lebanon and Israel in October 2022. He assured that the Amal-Hezbollah parliamentary bloc is not obstructing reforms and is “among the first to support a state capable of protecting its people and ensuring security and stability.”

The minister also discussed with his interlocutors the reform agenda Lebanon must undertake to benefit from an assistance program from the International Monetary Fund. He held another meeting on Monday with the IMF representative in Lebanon, Frederico Lima, focused on this issue.