Raji: Lebanon Has Begun a Path to Restore Sovereignty and Restrict Weapons to the State

Foreign Minister Youssef Raji affirmed that Lebanon has begun "a political and institutional path aimed at restoring the authority of the state and rebuilding its full sovereignty."

In a speech on the sidelines of his participation in the "Manama Dialogue" in Bahrain, he pointed out that the Lebanese government "has taken historic decisions mandating the restriction of weapons to the hands of the state and its legitimate institutions, and prohibiting the military and security activities of Hezbollah. These decisions are not merely political stances or declarations of intent; they are an expression of a clear national choice to end the duality of military and security authority, and to put an end to the existence of armed organizations operating outside the authority of the state, regardless of their identity or affiliations."

He considered that "the future of our region must not remain hostage to the ambitions of armed militias, or the calculations of external powers, or settlements made at the expense of the sovereignty of our states and the interests of our peoples. Rather, it must be shaped by sovereign, cohesive states that are aware of their interests, united among themselves, and capable of bearing responsibility for their own security, stability, and self-determination."

He said: "Either our region remains captive to conflicts, foreign interventions, and conflicting projects of influence, or it succeeds in building a new regional system based on the sovereignty of states, cooperation among them, and common security."

He announced "Lebanon's steadfast solidarity with all Arab Gulf states in the face of Iranian aggressions and those carried out by armed groups linked to Iran," noting that "Lebanon, more than others, understands the danger of these policies and their repercussions."