German president visits naval school in Jounieh

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, who has been in Lebanon since Monday, visited the naval school on Tuesday at the Jounieh naval base, where he was greeted by Army Commander Gen. Rodolphe Haykal.

"The German president’s visit reflects the depth of relations between the two countries," Gen. Haykal said, noting that "cooperation with the German authorities helps improve the military institution’s ability to protect land and maritime borders." He also expressed "his appreciation for the continued support to the army, which strengthens its ability to carry out various missions, thus preserving national sovereignty and ensuring regional security and stability, especially in light of security challenges in the region."

On Monday, the German president met with his Lebanese counterpart, Joseph Aoun. He stated that his visit to Lebanon aimed to "urge Hezbollah and Israel to respect the cease-fire agreement and uphold their commitments," while emphasizing that the disarmament of Hezbollah "should proceed gradually" and calling for the withdrawal of Israeli troops from South Lebanon. Steinmeier then met with Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, followed by Prime Minister Nawaf Salam.

Beirut is seeking to rally support for the Lebanese army, which has struggled to recover from the devastating economic crisis of the past six years, even as it faces the task of deploying thousands of soldiers in south Lebanon and disarming militias, foremost among them Hezbollah. In this context, an international conference in support of the military institution is scheduled to be held on March 5 in Paris.