Foreign Affairs Committee Examined Developments in the South

The Committee on Foreign Affairs and Expatriates held a session today at the Parliament, chaired by Member of Parliament Fadi Safadi, with the attendance of National Defense Minister Major General Michel Najjar and other committee members.

After the session, MP Safadi stated: "The Committee on Foreign Affairs and Expatriates convened a diplomatic meeting, attended by the Minister of Defense, a representative from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and ambassadors representing diplomatic missions of member states of the United Nations Security Council and the international community.

We dedicated the meeting to examining field developments in the south and coordinating joint diplomatic efforts to urge the United Nations Security Council to extend UNIFIL's mandate and support full implementation of Resolution 1701. What we emphasized most during today’s meeting was first, the pivotal role of UNIFIL.

He pointed out that "the presence of UNIFIL constitutes a fundamental pillar of stability and the sole mechanism for communication to prevent clashes and escalation along the Blue Line," adding that "the deployment of the Lebanese Army south of the Litani River is a fixed strategic decision by the Lebanese state, and the logistical and field partnership with UNIFIL is an essential condition enabling the army to complete its deployment gradually without creating any security gaps.

He added: "We focused on whether there will be any adjustments to UNIFIL’s readiness. We call for a realistic approach linking any reduction or modification in UNIFIL’s mandate to the technical and field progress of the Lebanese Army, independent of predetermined dates, which could lead to unforeseen consequences on the ground, especially given the ongoing Israeli attacks on southern Lebanon.

He concluded: "We reiterated our commitment to maintaining contact with decision-making capitals to secure the necessary extension of the international force’s mandate, ensuring the protection of Lebanese sovereignty and the safety and stability of our people in the south. The occasion also allowed us to present the petition signed by 86 MPs and explain its contents to ambassadors and representatives of diplomatic missions of Security Council member states, as presented by our colleague MP Melhem Khalaf.