President Aoun Informs Cabinet of Results from Washington and Ankara Visits and Negotiation Process

President of the Republic General Joseph Aoun opened the Council of Ministers session by requesting a minute of silence in mourning for the late former minister Sheikh Michel Khoury, before informing ministers of the results of his visits to the United States and Turkey, as well as the latest updates regarding the negotiation process.

President Aoun emphasized that his visit to Washington and his meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump yielded positive results, noting that discussions held away from the media reflected American understanding of Lebanon’s situation and opened new avenues for cooperation.

He pointed out that these favorable conditions have already translated into practical steps, including the lifting of the ban on American airlines operating flights to Lebanon, expressing hope that Middle East Airlines will be able to operate flights to American airports in the future.

He also announced preparations for holding an economic conference in Washington, involving relevant ministers and chaired by Prime Minister Najib Mikati, stressing that the move aims to strengthen economic cooperation and that follow-up on the outcomes of recent meetings is necessary from the Lebanese side.

Regarding his visit to Turkey, Aoun clarified that his meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was positive, highlighting Turkey’s readiness to assist in energy fields, particularly electricity and oil, as well as exploring Lebanon’s potential participation in the “Al-Hijaz Pipeline” and enhancing economic partnership between the two countries.

He added that Erdoğan reaffirmed his commitment to the stability of Lebanon and Syria and to non-interference by any country in the internal affairs of the two nations, noting that he requested Turkish support to help extend the mandate of UNIFIL forces, which the Turkish president expressed willingness to work on.

On the negotiations hosted in the Italian capital, Aoun mentioned they addressed several issues, most notably the cessation of hostilities, house demolitions and land clearance, borders, prisoner exchanges, and the issue of experimental zones.

He confirmed progress in the border and prisoner files, expressing hope that this progress will soon translate into concrete actions, while clarifying that the U.S. administration will continue monitoring the ceasefire and experimental zones files, with the arrival of U.S. General Joseph Clift to Beirut to oversee these matters.