President Joseph Aoun, accompanied by his wife Nehmat, greeting expatriates on Sunday, Sept. 21, 2025, at the Lebanese Embassy in New York, on the sidelines of his participation in the U.N. General Assembly. (Credit: Nour Breidi/L'OLJ)
BEIRUT — President Joseph Aoun will hold a series of meetings Monday starting at noon in New York (7 p.m. Beirut time) with heads of state and delegations attending the U.N. General Assembly, which is marking the 80th anniversary of the organization’s founding.
On Sunday evening, Aoun addressed the Lebanese diaspora from the country's embassy, urging them to “keep faith in Lebanon.”
Earlier in the evening, he held talks with Lebanese American businessmen and women at the Lebanese Embassy in New York. The meeting was attended by Foreign Minister Joe Rajji, Ambassador Nada Hamadeh Moawad, presidential adviser Rawha Harati and First Lady Neemat Aoun.
Issues raised included Lebanon’s negotiations with the International Monetary Fund — aimed at resolving the economic and financial crisis ongoing since 2019 — the security situation in south Lebanon amid near-daily Israeli attacks despite the cease-fire with Hezbollah since November 2024, infrastructure renewal, digitization, internet access and the expatriate vote in upcoming parliamentary elections.
The expatriate vote remains the subject of a proposed electoral law amendment put forward by several parliamentary groups. The current law allows expatriates to elect six MPs in addition to the existing 128 seats, while the amendment — widely supported by the diaspora — would grant them the right to vote in their home districts in Lebanon, just like residents.
The amendment is opposed by the Amal-Hezbollah alliance, which critics say fears that emigrants who do not support them could challenge their results.
According to the state-run National News Agency, those present at the embassy meeting with Aoun shared ideas and suggestions for improving Lebanon’s situation and expressed readiness to use their connections to support the country and defend its interests on all fronts. Foreign investment, economic reforms and restoring international trust were also widely addressed.
Aoun said Lebanon is on the verge of regaining its regional role, which makes the return of investments and political and security stability all the more urgent. He outlined ongoing economic and judicial reforms and, said, “Lebanon does not yield and stands tall despite all the challenges, even after the last war” between Hezbollah and Israel, which left entire regions in ruins.
He added: “Lebanon is one of the only countries in the world, if not the only one, whose diaspora is three times larger than the resident population. I know many of you are considering retiring in Lebanon, and you keep this country close to your hearts. Do not forget Lebanon and keep faith in it — it deserves your contribution, even though you already give so much to it.”
He also told the expatriates: “You are the pride of Lebanon and the reason it stands tall; you are its added value. From Australia to Brazil, there is no invention or innovation without a Lebanese fingerprint.”
"End Israeli aggression"
Aoun also followed closely Sunday’s bloody events in south Lebanon, condemning the Israeli strike in Bint Jbeil that killed at least five people, including a man on a scooter and an entire family in a car.
“While we are in New York to discuss peace and human rights, Israel continues its ongoing violations of international resolutions, and in particular the cease-fire agreement, committing another massacre in Bint Jbeil which claimed five lives, including three children,” he said in a statement issued by Baabda Presidential Palace.
“From New York, we call on the international community, whose leaders are in the halls of the United Nations, to make every effort to end violations of international resolutions, especially the countries guaranteeing the cease-fire declaration of Nov. 27, 2024, and to put pressure on Israel to withdraw from Lebanese territories and respect said declaration. There can be no peace built on the blood of our children,” he concluded.
