Did Joseph Aoun Succeed in Uniting Arab and European Fronts Behind Support for the Lebanese Army?

Today’s appearance of Lebanon in Paris demonstrated that the opening policy pursued by President Joseph Aoun toward Western and Arab capitals is producing international support, evident in the alignment of Arab-Europe ranks behind the decision to back the Lebanese army.

As the international sequence unfolds, the roles played by French President Emmanuel Macron in Europe and Jordan’s King Abdullah II in the Arab world have surrounded Lebanon with protection advancing toward not only securing support for the military institution but also affirming that Lebanon will not be abandoned at its most critical and delicate stage.

First, one can build on Lebanon’s presence in the French capital and the engagement of influential countries in addressing Lebanon’s demands, despite Western nations—especially the United States—prioritizing the implementation of the government’s decision to exclusively place weapons under state control. Yet the Paris summit itself solidified a new equation: Lebanon is not alone.

The preparatory Paris summit managed to crystallize a new scene based on an equation affirmed by the President’s policy of openness toward solutions, reaffirming the state’s sovereignty over all of southern Lebanon as it does across Lebanon, amid a renewed vision of the Lebanese army’s role.

It is from this perspective that the importance of upcoming international steps in supporting and strengthening the military institution lies.