President Aoun Says Israeli Withdrawal Enables Lebanon to End Armed Presence

President Joseph Aoun expressed to a delegation of French and European parliamentarians that Lebanon consistently seeks tangible support from the European Union across various sectors, particularly in backing the army, security institutions, and the economic situation. He emphasized that the assistance expected from the EU should correspond to Lebanon's significance for European countries and its ongoing contributions to halting the migration of Syrian refugees to Europe since the onset of the Syrian crisis in 2011.

He added that collective efforts under the supervision of the European Union would be more effective, especially if the interests of different countries are distributed across the various areas Lebanon requires support in.

President Aoun also noted that Israel's withdrawal enables Lebanon to assert its authority, end the presence of armed groups, and remove any justification for the existence of weapons outside those of the legitimate state and its armed forces. He highlighted the importance of adopting a political, military, economic, and social approach to the issue of disarming Hezbollah to preserve the country's political, security, and social stability.